Beef ‘Rags’ with Arugula
Beef strips are a typical and highly appreciated dish of Rome and Lazio. Of those that have no season because they are so comfortable and quick to cook that they are proposed all year round as a solution for every unexpected need. They are cooked literally in 5 minutes, just before being served. Typical dish then, but not of ancient tradition: the straccetti have been running for about sixty years and perhaps less. The recipe is not found in any traditional recipe book prior to the Second World War. And not even in the most recent ones until almost the 80s. That of beef strips with rocket and parmesan (or grana padano) that we are proposing is not the only recipe of its kind. In truth it is not even the most "traditional" version, the one that began to enter the menus in the 60s. Which was really simple, although very tasty in its simplicity. It was limited to flouring the beef strips and then cooking them quickly in boiling oil flavored with a pinch of oregano.
From this very simple recipe others were then derived, made with veal, pork and even chicken slices. Also as an accompaniment if they use more vegetables, and in particular cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes and zucchini. In any case, beef strips with rocket and parmesan cheese are certainly the most widespread in Rome and Lazio today. And, in my opinion, also those to be preferred, at least as far as meat is concerned: beef is much more suitable than veal or other varieties. About the accompaniment you can instead choose: in particular the versions with artichokes and zucchini are really good.
In case you want to try them, keep in mind that both artichokes and zucchini are eaten in salads even raw. So the very few minutes of cooking do not create problems... if the two vegetables are of adequate quality to be eaten raw. They must be fresh, very tender and cut very thin. For the record, it should also be noted that in many Roman restaurants the artichokes are fried separately for a few minutes, before being added to the strips they cook. For the rest, the recipe for beef strips with rocket and parmesan does not present difficulties. The only attention is to the quality of the meat, which must be lean and thinly cut.
In Rome you generally prefer the beef nut, which is an excellent compromise between quality and price. For the other cuts you must not go down in quality, then sirloin, or rump or internal rump. Then there is the problem of thickness. Surely the rags must be thin. Without exaggerating, as many butchers do in Rome, who slice the thin, almost transparent meat. The right thickness is 3-4 millimeters for the slices of meat that are then cut into small pieces with a knife, or tearing with your fingers. But I am talking about rags, which certainly will not be called so randomly. No?
Ingredients
200g (7 ounces) thinly sliced strips of beef100g (3-1/2 ounces) baby arugula leaves1 or 2 cloves of garlicOlive oilSalt and pepper
Directions
Take beef, sliced as thinly as possible and cut into short strips, and sauté it over a very high flame with a clove or two or slightly crushed garlic until it has just lost its raw color. Season liberally with salt and pepper, mix and remove from the heat. Throw is a few handfuls of raw arugula, toss until they have wilted. Serve your straccetti immediately with a nice piece of crusty bread to sop up the delicious juices.
NotesThe dish is best made with ‘baby’ arugula, which will wilt on contact with the hot beef and residual pan heat. If you have more ‘mature’ arugula, you may want to keep the skillet on the heat while you toss the beef ‘rags’ and greens together until they wilt. If you don’t have arugula on hand or prefer a less assertive taste, baby spinach leaves (or a mixture of spinach and arugula leaves) would also work nicely.
Depending on the cut of beef and the thickness of your slices, as well as the intensity of your heat source, the meat may give off liquid when you add it to the skillet. Not to worry, this is just fine, even desirable, as the cooking juices make a wonderful sauce for dipping bread into. Personally, however, I like to slice my beef paper-thin and keep the heat high for a ‘dry’ version of the dish. It is perhaps the closest thing in Italian cooking to a ‘stir fry’.
Beef strips are a typical and highly appreciated dish of Rome and Lazio. Of those that have no season because they are so comfortable and quick to cook that they are proposed all year round as a solution for every unexpected need. They are cooked literally in 5 minutes, just before being served. Typical dish then, but not of ancient tradition: the straccetti have been running for about sixty years and perhaps less. The recipe is not found in any traditional recipe book prior to the Second World War. And not even in the most recent ones until almost the 80s. That of beef strips with rocket and parmesan (or grana padano) that we are proposing is not the only recipe of its kind. In truth it is not even the most "traditional" version, the one that began to enter the menus in the 60s. Which was really simple, although very tasty in its simplicity. It was limited to flouring the beef strips and then cooking them quickly in boiling oil flavored with a pinch of oregano.
From this very simple recipe others were then derived, made with veal, pork and even chicken slices. Also as an accompaniment if they use more vegetables, and in particular cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes and zucchini. In any case, beef strips with rocket and parmesan cheese are certainly the most widespread in Rome and Lazio today. And, in my opinion, also those to be preferred, at least as far as meat is concerned: beef is much more suitable than veal or other varieties. About the accompaniment you can instead choose: in particular the versions with artichokes and zucchini are really good.
In case you want to try them, keep in mind that both artichokes and zucchini are eaten in salads even raw. So the very few minutes of cooking do not create problems... if the two vegetables are of adequate quality to be eaten raw. They must be fresh, very tender and cut very thin. For the record, it should also be noted that in many Roman restaurants the artichokes are fried separately for a few minutes, before being added to the strips they cook. For the rest, the recipe for beef strips with rocket and parmesan does not present difficulties. The only attention is to the quality of the meat, which must be lean and thinly cut.
In Rome you generally prefer the beef nut, which is an excellent compromise between quality and price. For the other cuts you must not go down in quality, then sirloin, or rump or internal rump. Then there is the problem of thickness. Surely the rags must be thin. Without exaggerating, as many butchers do in Rome, who slice the thin, almost transparent meat. The right thickness is 3-4 millimeters for the slices of meat that are then cut into small pieces with a knife, or tearing with your fingers. But I am talking about rags, which certainly will not be called so randomly. No?
Ingredients
200g (7 ounces) thinly sliced strips of beef
100g (3-1/2 ounces) baby arugula leaves
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions
Take beef, sliced as thinly as possible and cut into short strips, and sauté it over a very high flame with a clove or two or slightly crushed garlic until it has just lost its raw color. Season liberally with salt and pepper, mix and remove from the heat. Throw is a few handfuls of raw arugula, toss until they have wilted. Serve your straccetti immediately with a nice piece of crusty bread to sop up the delicious juices.
Notes
The dish is best made with ‘baby’ arugula, which will wilt on contact with the hot beef and residual pan heat. If you have more ‘mature’ arugula, you may want to keep the skillet on the heat while you toss the beef ‘rags’ and greens together until they wilt. If you don’t have arugula on hand or prefer a less assertive taste, baby spinach leaves (or a mixture of spinach and arugula leaves) would also work nicely.
Depending on the cut of beef and the thickness of your slices, as well as the intensity of your heat source, the meat may give off liquid when you add it to the skillet. Not to worry, this is just fine, even desirable, as the cooking juices make a wonderful sauce for dipping bread into. Personally, however, I like to slice my beef paper-thin and keep the heat high for a ‘dry’ version of the dish. It is perhaps the closest thing in Italian cooking to a ‘stir fry’.
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