An interpretation of the Monferrato region that showcases one of Piedmont’s finest products

Battuta di Fassona is one of the most iconic dishes of Piedmontese cuisine. Seemingly simple, it encapsulates the full significance of the raw ingredient: meat of the very highest quality, hand-cut to preserve its texture and flavour.

At Ristorante Monferrato, this dish is given a new twist with an ingredient deeply rooted in Piedmontese culinary tradition: veal marrow, served straight from the bone and accompanied by the classic ‘bagnetto verde’ and crispy breadcrumbs.

A traditional Piedmontese dish that plays on the contrasts between freshness, creaminess and crunchiness, showcasing the quality of Fassona Piemontese beef to the full.

Ingredients

Makes 1 portion

For the joke

• 100 g of Fassona Piemontese beef
• 1 veal thigh, cut in half lengthways

To finish

• dried breadcrumbs, to taste
• green sauce, to taste

For the green sauce

• fresh parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• stale bread
• good-quality vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, with the core removed
• anchovy fillets
• 2 hard-boiled egg yolks

Preparation

1. Prepare the minced meat

Finely chop the meat with a knife, ensuring it retains a soft yet well-defined texture. Alternatively, you can ask your butcher to prepare it for you on the spot.

2. Prepare the green sauce

Soak the stale bread in vinegar.

Blend the parsley with the extra virgin olive oil, the well-squeezed bread, the garlic (with the core removed), the anchovies and the hard-boiled egg yolks until you have a creamy, smooth sauce.

3. Cook the marrow

Bake the veal shank at 180 °C for about 10–15 minutes, adjusting the time according to the size of the bone.

Once the marrow is soft, take the bone out of the oven and, using a spoon, carefully scrape it out. Transfer it to a bowl and stir it gently with the back of a spoon until it becomes creamy.

4. Plate up the dish

Fill the hollow in the bone with a layer of dried breadcrumbs to insulate the meat from the residual heat.

Place the Fassona steak inside the bone, spreading it out evenly.

Finish with another light sprinkling of breadcrumbs, the marrow prepared earlier and a few dots of green sauce.

Serve immediately.

The Chef’s Tip

The quality of the steak depends mainly on the temperature of the meat. Take it out of the fridge a few minutes before you start preparing it: it will be more fragrant and will bring out the full delicacy of the Fassona beef. Cutting by hand is also essential, as it preserves the structure of the meat and brings out its texture and flavour, producing a result that mincing simply cannot match.

Find out more about the Fassona Piemontese

‘La Battuta’ is one of the most authentic ways to appreciate the quality of the Fassona Piemontese, a breed of cattle that is emblematic of the region and renowned for its tender, lean and flavourful meat.

→ See also: Fassona Piemontese: the story of one of Piedmont’s most prized specialities.