Curiously, the Italian word bistecca is actually borrowed from the English "beef steak." Pellegrino Artusi has a recipe for bistecca fiorentina in his 1891 cookbook, which is still – as with all of Artusi's recipes – the classic way to cook a real bistecca. He rightly describes which cut of meat is used to those who may be unfamiliar to the Tuscan specialty and points out that this "excellent dish" may not be widespread throughout the newly formed peninsula because in many places the butchers were still butchering only older, working animals. In fact, the provenance of abistecca fiorentina determines how genuine it is. The realbistecca fiorentina comes from an ancient Tuscan breed, one of the world's largest, the Chianina cow. These lean, tall, perfectly white creatures were once traditionally used as working animals for their size