Beef fesa
Fesa is a lean beef cut from the inner thigh. Sliced thinly across its fine grain, it suits the quick pan cooking of carbonada valdostana, with onion, pancetta and a white-wine sauce.
- Cut
- Boneless beef from the inner part of the thigh.
- For carbonada
- Thin slices cooked briefly in a wide pan.
Slice across the grain
Set the meat on a stable board and identify the lines of muscle fiber. Cut across them into thin, even slices, trimming loose surface connective tissue as needed. A sharp knife helps keep the thickness consistent.
Use a wide pan and work in batches when the slices would otherwise overlap. For carbonada, let the onion soften gently and cook the thin beef only as directed in the recipe; the sauce comes together without a long braise.
A precise cut for a quick carbonada
Fesa comes from the large muscles on the inner side of the upper hind leg. Its long, fine fibers and limited marbling make the direction of the slice worth noticing: look for the grain before cutting. In carbonada valdostana, thin pieces cook with softened onion, pancetta, butter and wine. This is a quick pan preparation, so ask for fesa suitable for thin slices rather than choosing an unspecified piece of stewing beef. The cut matters more here than a general label such as beef round.
Bring the pan to the table hot
Serve carbonada as soon as the thin slices and wine sauce are ready. Spoon the sauce over the beef and place hot polenta alongside, where it can take up some of the buttery cooking juices.
Cook with it
Ask for beef fesa
Ask the butcher for fesa di manzo or fesa interna, specifying that you want thin slices for quick pan cooking. If buying it whole, choose a piece you can slice evenly and confirm the cut with the seller. The word fesa also appears on other meats, so check that the label identifies beef.
Follow the fresh-meat directions
Follow the butcher’s or package’s refrigeration and use-by directions. Keep the meat wrapped or in a covered container, separate from foods ready to eat. Prepare only the portion you need and use clean tools and a clean board for slicing.
