This morning as I finished the breakfast dishes and started a load of wash, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction showcased the last few moments of Bistecca alla Fiorentina. This is a classic Florentine dish consisting of a thick porterhouse steak basically unadorned except for sale e pepe e olio (salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil).
Of course he had to marinate in rosemary and who knows what else, and serve with some sort of homemade steak sauce. That would be heresy in Tuscany akin to putting salt in bread. Then he took gorgeous Treviso (long-shaped radicchio) and grilled it but then had to gild the lily with gorgonzola and chives. I grill radicchio a lot but just toss quarters with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and let it speak for itself.
Then Tyler Florence started chiming in with a California home baked “smoked” brisket with some sort of homemade barbecue sauce. Our Uncle Bobby made his own rig and smokes his briskets for 13 hours and ribs for five. Texas-style.
Folks, there is no real NY/Southwest style bistecca alla fiorentina. Nor is there true Marin County BBQ brisket. These people just need to sell television shows and assume the worst of viewers: that we know nothing.
I’ve had my bistecca in Florence and brisket in Texas and think viewers should be shown the correct ways to make food before you do your riffs on it. I must say that Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence are two of my favorite television chef personalities but this is too much.
I’m beginning to agree with Bourdain, that Food Network is the “evil” channel. Just teach the basics and offer riffs. Don’t make viewers think that bistecca comes with steak sauce or that true BBQ comes from California. This, dear reader, is an extreme pet peeve of mine that I’m sure will resurface after I’m sued by the Food Network and the attorneys of Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay.
If so, I’ll plead the 1st and 5th amendments, have Uncle Bobby come to the trial with his smoking rig and my favorite Italian chef come in from Tuscany with true bistecca and the judge will decide for her/himself. Happy eating! Dee
Cooking with Dee 