Dario Cecchini’s Butcher Shop

Tuscany – Beautiful rolling hills, red wine, homemade pasta, olives, and the mother of all steaks…the Bistecca alla Fiorentina! Tuscany has drawn us in time and time again. Its charming landscapes, rich history and fine cuisine offers a paradise for foodies and photographers alike.

We have had our turn at propping up the leaning tower of Pisa, discovered the dazzling jewels of Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, and explored the captivating medieval city of Siena, with its huge piazza which hosts the famous “Palio di Siena” twice a year.

Make sure to visit San Gimignano and grab a scoop or two of world championship Dondoli Gelato.

If you’ve got a few extra days to spare, then do head out to the La Spezia area and check out the Cinqueterre. This UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises of five villages which descend right into the sea. A region only connected by trains, paths or boats, we opted for the latter. Our private boat ride with Daniele was an informative and exhilarating way of viewing this unique tourist attraction.

Agriturismo is our preferred style of accommodation here. Farm stays will have you rolling into bed. The delicious courses that never end offer homegrown delicacies prepared with the sole aim of pampering the guest. This was definitely the case at the Due Ghiri wonderful farmhouse.

But we digress…

We actually came to see Dario Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti! Dario is a world renowned meat-guru who attracts meat lovers from around the globe….and boy were we excited!

We booked a table months ahead and arrived just before eight pm. There he was, Dario Cecchini himself, cutting two-inch thick T-Bone steaks and putting them in a row on the counter of his butcher shop, all to the sound of AC/DC. The atmosphere was buzzing as his attentive staff mulled around making sure everyone tried samples of Cecchini Salami and lard on toast with red wine, as we waited to be seated.

We sat outside at a long table with like-minded meat lovers from around the world: Thai, Dutch, Italians, Ukrainians, and a couple from North Korea. The wine kept flowing and the waiters served dish after dish: Sushi del Chianti, Carpaccio di culo, Bistecca Fiorentina, Bistecca Panzanese, and for dessert, an orange-olive oil cake.

It goes without saying the food was out of this world and of course a vegetarian’s worst nightmare! We had such a good time and will never forget the tender, grilled to perfection beef we experienced that night!

And the adventure did not stop there! The next day we were booked in for the “butcher for a day” course. A little hungover but in a happy mood, we found ourselves back at Dario’s butcher shop for 10 am. We politely declined the first glass of wine but a little lard on toast for breakfast, why not! We were soon back in the groove and so were the three Americans riding along. We got picked up by a landrover and drove to the slaughterhouse, where about ten people were hard at work cutting meat. What a tough line of work. It takes a lot of experience and knowledge to chisel out those prime cuts from a cow. We snacked on freshly minced, raw meat whilst learning about the different parts of the animal.

After all this breakfast, we were ready for that glass of wine. On the way back, though, we checked out a herd of real Chianina cows on a local farm. Even though most of Dario Cecchini’s meat comes from Spain and is a secret cross between…(we all have our secrets), the Chianina cow is the staple Tuscan breed and makes a perfect Bistecca Fiorentina.

Back at the butcher shop, and a glass of Chianti Classico in hand, we were put to work and had a ton of fun, making Lardo, Beef Shin Roast with Marrow and discovering how the Mama cooks her “Peposo Notturno” beef stew.

Now it was time to eat lunch and we were in for yet another feast. What a prime spot they chose for us (excuse the pun), right next to the sizzling fire pit, where the magic happens. The grill master had his own perfect style of grilling, placing each steak upright, enabling the heat of that wood to reach every corner of the meat, before laying it flat to brand that all-familiar griddle mark.

Our menu kicked off with the rich-flavoured Peposo Notturno beef stew (Abigail’s favourite). It was then followed by the pork tuna salad (bearing a strange yet delicious resemblance of tuna), some beans and a plateful of Sushi del Chianti. With hardly an inch of space to spare, the grand finale came just in time. A mouth-watering bouquet of steaks, including Richie’s favourite, the “butcher’s cut” steak, what more could we have asked for, it simply was the perfect ending to our Cecchini adventure!

Arrivederci a tutti…We’ll meat you guys around the world!

Richie & Abigail