Oyster Of Beef At MP Taverna

I’m going to let you in on a secret; cooks have private delicacies that we keep to ourselves. For instance, whenever I carve a chicken or a turkey, I quietly fish out “the oysters.” These twin disc-shaped morsels of succulent flesh reside in bony pockets where the thighs attach to the spine. If I like you, and you’re standing nearby, I might offer the oyster to you. If not, I’ll take it myself and consider it my due. But guess what? Beef also has an oyster—and, just like the poultry oyster, it’s a delicacy that’s too small and too rarified to have a commercial presence. Until now. On MP Taverna’s new steak menu, you’ll find buttery, 45-day-aged rib eyes and—if you’re really lucky—the oyster of beef pictured here. It’s a tiny thing, about 9 ounces (a size that Chef Psilakis calls “a Scooby Snack”)—but it’s lavishly marbled and tender and as precious as a gem. The killer is that Psilakis trims the fat from those aged rib eyes and renders it into a sort of intensely beefy tasting lardo. Look for the oyster to appear grilled on one side and served with lemon, and molten aged beef lardo. It’s a sexy, very cheffy little secret and a carnivorous treat.