Dario Cecchini (born 1955) is an eighth generation Italian butcher from Panzano in the Chianti region of Italy. [1]
Cecchini was born in 1955 in the Tuscan village of Panzano. He studied veterinary science at the university of Pisa but left halfway through his studies in 1976 to take over the family business established in 1780, Antica Macelleria Cecchini, [2] from his dying father. Dario is an eighth generation butcher. [1] [3]
Cecchini gained international renown in 2001 when the EU banned the sale of all beef on the bone, from cows that are more than one year old and he staged a widely publicized mock funeral for Bistecca. [4]
He presented at the MAD Symposium in August 2013 in Copenhagen, to 500 chefs from around the world. He closed his presentation with a recitation of a passage from Dante Alighieri's Inferno. [5]
In March 2014, Cecchini was featured in BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme . In the interview, Cecchini described butchery as an ancient art that involved a respect for the animal, and he likened his work to poetry. [6]
He and his wife operate not only the historic butcher shop, and three restaurants [7] attached to the shop: Panzanese (grilled Panzanese steak), Solociccia (braising, boiling, grilling, generally using lesser-known cuts) and Officina della Bistecca.
A beefsteak, often called just steak, is a flat cut of beef with parallel faces, usually cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. In common restaurant service a single serving has a raw mass ranging from 120 to 600 grams. Beef steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuck or round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized.
The T-bone and porterhouse are steaks of beef cut from the short loin. Both steaks include a "T"-shaped lumbar vertebra with sections of abdominal internal oblique muscle on each side. Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin and thus include more tenderloin steak, along with a large strip steak. T-bone steaks are cut closer to the front, and contain a smaller section of tenderloin. The smaller portion of a T-bone, when sold alone, is known as a filet mignon, especially if cut from the small forward end of the tenderloin.
A cheesesteak is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular regional fast food, it has its roots in the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments. A butcher may be employed by supermarkets, grocery stores, butcher shops and fish markets, slaughter houses, or may be self-employed.
Pat's King of Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, and located at the intersection of South 9th Street, Wharton Street and East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, directly across the street from rival Geno's Steaks. It was founded in 1930 by brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri, who are credited with the creation of the cheesesteak.
Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existence, wild horses were hunted as a source of protein.
Geno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joey Vento. Geno's is located in South Philadelphia at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's King of Steaks, which is generally credited with having invented the cheesesteak in 1933. The cheesesteak has since become a signature dish for the city of Philadelphia. After Joey Vento's death in 2011, restaurant ownership was passed to his son Geno Vento.
Parmo, or Teesside Parmesan, is a dish originating in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, and a popular item of take-away food in the Teesside area. It consists of a breaded cutlet of chicken or pork topped with a white béchamel sauce and cheese, usually cheddar.
Marco Pierre White is a British chef, restaurateur, and television personality. In 1995, aged 33, White became the first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. He has trained notable chefs such as Mario Batali, Heston Blumenthal, Shannon Bennett, Gordon Ramsay and Curtis Stone. He has been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" and the enfant terrible of the UK restaurant scene.
The tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, consisting of the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Untrimmed, the tri-tip weighs around 5 pounds. In the US, the tri-tip is taken from NAMP cut 185C.
Beefeater is a chain of over 140 pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread.
A steak sandwich is a sandwich prepared with steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons, then served on bread or a roll. Steak sandwiches are sometimes served with toppings of cheese, onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and in some instances fried eggs, coleslaw, and french fries.
The cuisine of Michigan is part of the broader regional cuisine of the Midwestern United States. It is reflective of the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the state, and draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Native North America.
Meat on the bone, also called bone-in meat is meat that is sold with some or all of the bones included in the cut or portion, i.e. meat that has not been filleted. The phrase "on the bone" can also be applied to specific types of meat, most commonly ham on the bone, and to fish. Meat or fish on the bone may be cooked and served with the bones still included or the bones may be removed at some stage in the preparation.
Bryan Voltaggio is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author. He is a Top Chef television series alum; and he was a semi-finalist for the James Beard award. His brother is celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio. He resides in Frederick, Maryland and is known for Mid-Atlantic cuisine.
A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patties, such as hamburgers.
Jack's Place is a Western-styled restaurant that targets the family demographic. It is a subsidiary group of JP Pepperdine, established in 1966 by Jack Hunt. There are 16 outlets in Singapore and a central kitchen in 10 Defu Lane.
Giacomo "Jack" Ubaldi was an Italian-American butcher and chef. Ubaldi is credited for the selection, marketing and sale of bottom sirloin subprimal cuts in New York City as the "Newport steak."
The Fields Bar and Grill is a sports bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States.