Chianina
Bos taurus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Chianina is the porcelain-white cattle breed of the Val di Chiana in Tuscany, and the largest breed of cattle in the world. Its beef is very lean and white-fatted on an enormous frame, with a loin big enough to cut the thick bone-in steak that bistecca alla fiorentina requires — and little enough marbling that the steak has to come off the fire rare.
Picking a good onedrag
Freshly cut, cherry-red, firmOff: tacky, slimy, smelling wrong
Counter freshEveryday bestSear, roast or braise, but mince needs 160°F (71°C). Pregnant? Cook all meat through.
ColourRed, a brownish cast under lights
Touch the surfaceMoist and clean, still not sticky
SmellMild, clean, faintly meaty
These cues are Beef's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.