Bistecca Modena with Fettucini and Garlic Kale
I used to cook this Italian steak recipe years ago when I was a saute cook and saucier. It always stuck in my mind, because it was so good! This steak is in the cooking style of Modena, Italy. Modena is home to opera, Ferrari and cave evaporated balsamic vinegar.
Recipe: You need make some Salsa Pomodoro Sauce. (My Salsa Pomodoro recipe was posted at my recipe blog on 11/12/2010 in the Calamari alla Salsa Pomodoro recipe.)
Beef Glace Recipe: Slow roast these ingredients in a roasting pan in a 325 degree oven: beef bones with marrow, chopped carrots, celery, a few dabs of tomato paste and chopped onion.
After the bones and vegetables are carmelized to a brown color, transfer the bones and vegetables to a pot. Deglaze the pan with water and add the deglaze juices to the pot. Add water to the pot till the bones are covered. Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for four hours over low heat. Add water as necessary to cover the bones.
Skim the grease off the top of the broth in the pot. Strain the broth into a container and discard the bones and vegetables. Reduce the beef broth till it can glaze a spoon that is dipped in it.
Cool the glaze and refrigerate it. It will be like gelatin when cold. Cut the glace into cubes and freeze them on a pan. Bag the frozen cubes and keep them in the freezer for when needed.
Bistecca Modena Recipe: Trim a ribeye steak so there is no excess fat. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Saute the steak with a splash of olive oil over medium high heat. Add two trimmed fresh mushroom caps. When the steak is cooked rare, add a little bit of equal amounts of salsa pomodoro and beef glace. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Reduce till a medium thin sauce is formed.
Assembly: Set the steak on the plate. Set the mushroom caps on top of the steak. Set some al dente cooked fettucini on the plate. Pour the sauce over the steak and pour some of the sauce over some al dente cooked fettucini pasta.
Garlic Kale Recipe: Saute sliced garlic with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat till the garlic becomes golden colored.
Add some chopped green kale, sea salt, black pepper and some water. Keep reducing the water in the pan till the kale is cooked al dente. You may have to add water more than once. When the kale becomes tender, reduced the water till it is nearly evaporated and add a little bit of virgin olive oil. Braise the kale in the oil for one minute. Place the garlic kale on the plate.
This dish is simply divine! The flavors are so great! The Modena sauce is so well matched to a steak. The garlic kale retains its deep green color when cooked. I used white mushrooms in this recipe but if you can get fresh cepes, porcini or truffles, then by all means, use the better mushroom. I love regional Italian food! Ciao Baby! ... Shawna