Bison for dinner? Try it with Zinfandel
Bistecca’s chef allows natural f lavour to shine
That Food: Alberta bison ribeye steak; $38; Bistecca Italian Steakhouse
Vacations in warmer climes take our minds off work — and our too-long winters.
But Carmelo Rago, president of the Sorrentino’s Restaurant Group, rarely takes that kind of break from thinking about his business. A visit to an Italian steak house in Phoenix 18 years ago planted an idea that ultimately led to Rago opening Bistecca Italian Steakhouse in Edmonton in 2008.
Believing that the time was right for an Italian-style meat emporium in Edmonton, Rago sent corporate chef Sonny Sung (also a partner in the restaurant) to Las Vegas, where every major U.S. steak house has a presence. Sung did the tour, studying and tasting at a number of steak houses, including Italian superstar chef Mario Batali’s Carnevino.
Inspired, Sung set out to create a menu incorporating traditional Italian preparations using local products. He wanted to highlight the great quality of Albertaraised meat through the wonderful simplicity of Italian cuisine.
This philosophy is clear in the preparation of the Alberta bison rib-eye. Sung sources his bison from the Alberta Bison Ranch in Mayerthorpe. He cuts his rib-eyes in-house and simply seasons with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and cracked pepper.
Sung first sears the steak in a cast iron pan for 90 seconds per side and then transfers to the grill for an additional three minutes per side until medium rare. Bison is a lean meat that can dry out quite easily.
The rib-eye is finished with sea salt and the amazing full, grippy and peppery Col d’Orcia olive oil from Tuscany and served with seasonal starch and vegetables.
The focus is on the succulent meat and, as Sung emphasizes, when you start with great quality ingredients, you don’t want to get too fancy and risk detracting from the natural flavours you started with. This Wine: Renwood Zinfandel 2011, California (four-ounce glass $8.25; eight-ounce glass $15.50; bottle $49.50)
Fresh, supple and youthful with bright red and black berry aromas and flavours, plum, licorice, cracked pepper and a touch of spice, so well balanced and harmonious with soft tannins, a vibrant finish and a great drinkability.
First introduced to California by Italian immigrants during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, Zinfandel was long thought to have come from southern Italy’s Puglia region where the genetically familial grape, Primitivo, makes its home. Further genetic studies ultimately showed that the origins of both Zin and Primitivo actually lie up Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast with a grape known locally as Crljenak Kastelanski.
The Renwood Winery is a Zinfandel specialist located in northern California’s Amador County in the Sierra Foothills.
Amador County is one of the state’s oldest wine regions, having been settled by European immigrants in the 19th century.
At one point, the area claimed more wineries than any other wine-producing region in California. Some of the vineyards planted over a century ago survive to this day and continue to produce intensely flavoured grapes and concentrated wines.
The succulence of the bison and the simplicity of its preparation make for an excellent match with the juicy, supple and spicy Zin.
Bistecca Italian Steakhouse, 2345 111th St.; for reservations go to sorrentinos.com/bistecca or call 780-439-7335.