The masters of (good) meat

Sergio Massaglia belongs to a family which for at least 4 generations have bred the Fassone cow in their farm in Buttigliera d’Asti (in via Villanova 93, tel. +39.011.9928880). Here, together with his family they look after the animals, spoiling them with a cattle feed made specifically for them with soy, bran, corn and beet pulp and a life spent outdoors. “The longer they spend inside, the more they grow fat, but I want to keep them under the sun. They must be able to move: this way the grow healthy and strong and they won’t have any problem when they give birth”.

In the past, in fact, cow and calf both risked their life because of the large dimension of the latter, which is too “cumbersome”. Some healthy activity outdoors and a careful genetic selection of the bull – or of its semen, since for quite some time insemination has been artificial – have drastically reduced the mortality rate. It is this beautiful sunny farm that supplies two of the most famous butchers in Milan, namely Annunciata Macelleria (Via dell’Annunciata 10, +39.02.6572299), run by Mauro Brun and Pregiate carni piemontesi (in Via Montepulciano 8, +39.02.6693118) where you’ll find Bruno Rebuffi.

The two friends – and business partners – have decided to take an ethical journey dedicated to a careful selection of the suppliers, which have to follow an “old-style” breeding method (that is to say: healthy and respectful of the animal). What we have found in these people – from the breeders in Asti to these butchers who excel in Milan because of their skill in managing the products (they are among the few who still know how to cut with a knife) and their attention to quality – is the sincerity of their intent, their constant commitment in order to fulfil their objective and the desire for real, authentic things, things that are made with the heart.

After all, even if in the end there’s the slaughtering, respect cannot be forsaken: Sergio’s animals live a nice and just life, with no limits and with a care that allows them to be healthy and – perhaps – happy too. I quote Bruno, who told us something that struck us, and with which we agree: “Today, death is considered a taboo, a tragedy we don’t want to accept, both for people and animals. However, they are part of this system, just like us.”