Today's Bittman/Marinated Rib-eye

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Today's Bittman...

January 28, 2009The MinimalistA Venetian Bath of Wine and SpiceBy MARK BITTMANTHIS is a column about luck, not skill — or at least not mine. Havingbecome enamored of Peasant, on Elizabeth Street, I discovered that thechef, Frank DeCarlo, also ran the newer Bacaro. (Bacaro is the namegiven to a Venetian bar serving what are called cicchetti but arebetter known elsewhere as tapas — or small plates, or snacks.)The first time I ate at Bacaro I was struck — even dumbstruck — by oneparticular dish. It's a marinated rib-eye, and part of the luck camein ordering it in the first place, since I'm not big on marinatingmeat that tastes fine just by itself. This, however, was clearly anancient recipe — you could taste the sweet spices and the rich redwine immediately — and an unusual one.The next time I saw Frank I asked him about it, and he agreed to sharethe recipe. Turns out it is indeed an ancient Northern Italianpreparation, originally created for horsemeat. To improve the flavorof the meat, this powerful marinade relied on rich local wine(typically, says Frank, Amarone, but you can use something cheaper, aslong as it's full-bodied), along with aromatic spices.It's dead easy. Start with a relatively thin rib-eye. Marinate for oneto three days. (We tried one of these steaks after a 30-minutemarinade; it was good, but different. Try longer first.)The cooking should be quick and hot, in a heavy pan, for just abouttwo minutes per side; you might generate a bit of smoke but thecooking time is short enough that it will be tolerable.Which makes us even luckier, given that indoor steak-grilling seasonis here for real.Really Old-Fashioned Marinated Rib-EyeBy MARK BITTMANAdapted from Frank DeCarloTime: About 20 minutes, plus marinating1/2 bottle rich, full-bodied red wine, preferably Amarone2 tablespoons sugar6 whole cloves1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon orange zest2 8- to 12-ounce rib-eye steaks, about 1/2-inch thickSalt and pepper.1. Combine wine and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil; lower heatand simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and orangezest, and remove pan from heat to cool.2. Put steaks in a large baking dish and pour marinade over them.Marinate steaks in refrigerator for at least several hours and up tothree days.3. Take steaks out of the marinade, season with salt and pepper, andcook them in a very hot skillet, about 2 minutes each side for mediumrare. (You can grill or broil them if you prefer.) Slice the meatabout 1/4-inch thick and serve.Yield: 4 servings. A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!