FOOD NEWS
Straccetti Is The Elegant Beef Dish You'll See
In Italy
BY RYAN CASHMAN
Hailing from the central Italian region of Lazio, elegance meets simplicity in the dish straccetti di manzo, which translates to "little rags of beef."
The meal consists of thin slices of beef quickly sautéed in olive oil. The meat is lightly seasoned with salt and sometimes garlic, then tossed with arugula and parmesan cheese.
It is believed that straccetti originated as a way to get more meals out of pieces of beef, as meat was once expensive in Italy. Slicing beef extra thin stretched out the supply.
An Italian grocery store may stock pre-cut straccetti, but you can always cut your own. Use beef cuts like rump roast, London broil, ribeye, or skirt steak for the easiest slices.
Your beef slices should be paper thin, and you can use a meat mallet to pound it more thinly if you're having trouble cutting it. Next, briefly soak the beef slices in the olive oil.
Add the beef to a hot pan. Once the pieces start to brown, toss them to coat them evenly in olive oil and meat juice, then add leaves of arugula and toss again.
Cook until the arugula just begins to wilt. Plate the dish, sprinkle parmesan over the top, and allow it to melt slightly for a meal that's meaty, savory, and refreshing.