Marinated Rib-Eye from Ancient Northern Italy
By Mark Bittman (The Minimalist), Published: January 27, 2009, New York Times

As made by Frank DeCarlo, from Bacaro, a Venetian restaurant in New York serving tapas-type dishes.

Mark Bittman calls his article on these steaks "A Venetian Bath of Wine and Spice" and describes his eating experience thus: "The first time I ate at Bacaro I was struck — even dumbstruck — by one particular dish. It’s a marinated rib-eye, and part of the luck came in ordering it in the first place, since I’m not big on marinating meat that tastes fine just by itself. This, however, was clearly an ancient recipe — you could taste the sweet spices and the rich red wine immediately — and an unusual one."

Frank DeCarlo's recipe comes from an ancient Northern Italian preparation, which according to legend is from 489 A.D. (when the barbarians invaded Northeast Italy) and was originally used for horsemeat. To improve the flavor of the meat, the marinade relied on rich local wine (typically Amarone, but you can use something cheaper, as long as it’s full-bodied). About 500 years later sweet aromatic spices were added to the recipe. Start with a relatively thin rib-eye and marinate for one to three days for best flavor.

1/2 bottle rich, full-bodied red wine, preferably Amarone
2 tablespoons sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 8- to 12-ounce rib-eye steaks, about 1/2-inch thick
Salt and pepper

1. Combine wine and sugar in a large pot and bring to boil; lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest, 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 to three days.

3. Take steaks out of the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and cook them in a very hot skillet, about 2 minutes each side for medium rare. (You can grill or broil them if you prefer.) Slice the meat about 1/4-inch thick and serve.

Yield: 4 servings