Alla fine dell’ottocento in Sardegna il fenomeno del banditismo dilagava, le “grassazioni” cioè le aggressioni a mano armata a scopo di rapina erano drammaticamente frequenti. La cronaca dell’epoca riporta un impressionante numero di episodi finiti nel sangue, come quello eclatante del novembre del 1894, passato alla storia come “La Bardana di Tortolì”, quando una banda composta da più di 50 fuorilegge circondò la casa dell’uomo più ricco di Tortolì, il cavalier Vittorio Depau.

I banditi entrarono e uccisero un servo che si rifiutava di rivelare dove fossero nascosti gli averi della famiglia. La banda, individuato il nascondiglio in cui era custodito il ricco bottino, 27 mila lire in oro, 5 mila in gioielli, 20 mila lire in altri oggetti preziosi, saccheggiò i preziosi per darsi poi alla fuga. Il brigadiere Giua, gallurese, intervenne con i suoi commilitoni, ingaggiò uno scontro a fuoco e rimase ucciso.

Nella fuga anche i banditi persero un loro uomo, ma per paura che dal riconoscimento del cadavere si potesse risalire ad altri componenti della banda legati a quest’ultimo da rapporti di parentela, il corpo venne completamente spogliato, lasciato solo con le calze, decapitato con una leppa e la testa portata via.

Dall’osservazione dei protagonisti di fatti come questo, lo scienziato siciliano Niceforo, sulla scorta di teorie di lambrosiana memoria, trasse la conclusione che: «La varietà mediterranea ha un temperamento etnico formato da un insieme di caratteri psicologici tendenti ai reati di sangue». Definì i Sardi privi di quella «plasticità morale che fa mutare ed evolvere la coscienza sociale», affetti da «daltonismo morale» che per tratti genetici e condizioni geografiche erano uomini propensi alla vendetta e afflitti dalla inarrestabile ferocia tipica del «delinquente nato». La popolazione sarda accolse l’opera di Niceforo come l’ennesimo insulto alla gente sarda, ne scaturì una polemica durata anni sostenuta dall’intellighenzia che combatteva contro la teorizzazione scientifica della “razza maledetta”.

Watching to a steak cook make you think and ask a lot of question. Just like watching to the stars. To feel the flesh sizzling, slowly changing color while the air is filled with that unmistakable scent, no it’s not magic, it’s science. And to clarify, we are talking about the Maillard reaction, probably the most important “among the stoves”, that mechanism that allows the perfect cooking of the steak, that allows a good browning and a soft and juicy inside.

The best “scientists” of Sardegna, the real experts in choosing the finest cuts, the most skilled in cooking and creating chemical reactions worthy of Louis-Camille Maillard in person are found in Ogliastra, Tortolì. They are ready to welcome customers at Ventuno Steakhouse, the best of its kind.

To better understand, examples of Maillard’s reaction are also: the good crunchiness of the bread crust and the browning of the creme brulé. But coming back to our beloved steak, the reaction needed to be perfect is strictly related to the heat applied and to the sugars and amino acids contained in a given food. The best meat, in order to obtain a perfect reaction, should have intramuscular fat and a homogeneous height.

Luca Piras, owner of Ventuno Steakhouse

There meat is the undisputed protagonist. A careful selection of the best breeders and a choice of Italian and foreign products of the highest quality, accompanied by cooking methods that respect and enhance the raw material, guarantee an unforgettable experience. 

The fine Wagyu Kyoto Miyabi

The Maxi Costata (1Kg), the famous Fiorentina and the Tartare are the great protagonists of a menu that is characterized by a choice of meat cuts with high degrees of marbling and long periods of ripening.

Sakura Beef

Ventuno Steakhouse offers meats with a minimum maturation of 30 to 150 days. Thanks to this process, meat develops flavors and aromas, after a good cooking on a cast iron plate, it acquires an intense flavor, softness and unique taste.

Picanha’s Wagyu selection SWAMI

The carefully studied, experimented and perfected cooking method involves the formation of the crust on the grill. Then the large ribs are set aside near the grill in such a way that the heat penetrates into the meat in a slow and homogeneous way. When the steak has to be served, it is put back on the grill with a temperature of about 90 degrees to resume heat, then boned, cut into slices and recomposed. At this point the chosen cut is ready to be served: inside we find homogeneous temperature, measured with a thermometer, of 48-50 degrees, the perfect one.

Swami Beef. Its very accentuated marbling gives an intense taste and an unmistakable softness.

At Ventuno Steakhouse commitment and passion are the watchwords since 2019, the date when the restaurant, unique in its kind in Ogliastra, opened its doors. And since then the road traveled has led the steakhouse to place itself on the podium of the best of the island: many are the loyal customers, who arrive from the other side of Sardegna just to eat here. For them, the true lovers of matured and marbled meat from all over the world, the Club Ventuno has been created, an exclusive closed-number circuit that allows the few selected to taste rare meats from all over the world.