Which brings me to a vexing question: where, if at all, is the nearest decent Fiorentina to be had? (somehow I suspect the answer will be Maremma in NYC, or somewhere in Toscana) It haunts me...ever since I first read Raichlen's lengthy discourse in the Barbecue[sic] Bible.

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bistecca alla Fiorentina (2Kg!), Osteria dell'Acquacheta, Montepulciano

According to Bill Buford in _Heat_, real grass-fed, free range Chianina cattle are almost non-existent in Tuscany. The famous Tuscan butcher he apprenticed with, Dario Cecchini, sourced his bistecca Fiorentina from Spain.

There is a consorzio of Chianina beef butchers that sells grass fed white cattle from the Chianina valley in the province of Siena. I have seen the cows and have met members of the consorzio. It is a small consorzio and the membership and cattle is gorwing in number. Remeber that the Italian indsutry was disrupted by the Mad Cow scare and you still cannot get fully gorwn cattle of 36 to 40 months even now.

Dario is a Fioretino. Chianina beef is Sienese. If you want real Chianina, go to the area south of Siena known as the Crete Sienese: Trequanda (Conte Matto), Buonconvento (Duccio), Montalcino and environs (Il Pozzo in Sant'Angelo in Colle for dinner or the butcher on Via Mazzini in Montalcino or the one in Sant'Angelo Scalo) or La Chiusa to name but a few sources.

Mario in Firenze had a locally raised beef for their Fiorentina but I am not sure it is certified Chianina. It is none the less an insanely good steak, equal to Il Pozzo.

If you listen to Dario Cecchini he is the only source of anything worthwhile in the world of meat. His meat, while wonderful, is just one source of incredible meat in a land of many sources of incredible meats. But it is wonderful! It is as good in its own way as the stuff coming out of the Chianina, but it is a little different.