The Costa Method

The key to the success of “Maxelà” is without doubt the so-called “Costa Method”, a complex procedure of preparing the meat that respects old techniques marked by the highest standards and authenticity. Roberto Costa “inherited” this method from Ino Novella, the very well-known butcher in Via Nino Bixio in Genoa, and he proudly continues using it, having introduced it in all his restaurants. There are various stages, from the choice of heifer to the moment when the meat is served at the table. This is the procedure:

1 - Roberto Costa and Mauro Tedone (consultant butcher for Maxela), regularly visit slaughterhouses to choose the best “scottona” veal cuts on the market, buying only those that possess the right requirements to "enter" restaurants, i.e. those that are fatty and well-formed, where the fat allows proper maturation of the meat without, of course, increasing bacterial growth.

2 - The hindquarters (leg and loin) are matured for 2 to 3 weeks in slaughterhouse cold rooms and ventilated at a constant temperature that never exceeds 4 degrees Celsius; this process dries off excess moisture and relaxes meat tissues (maturation) because newly-slaughtered adult cattle contain approx. 90% humidity and the right maturation requires cutting this percentage to 70%. Reducing the water content means decreasing the weight and this involves extra costs which raise the purchase price; this is the real reason why very few butchers continue to mature meat in order to obtain the best results. A “scottona” is a young cow between 15 and 21 months of age which has not calved and is therefore in a particularly suitable hormonal state favouring organic growth and fat deposition. It provides meat of particular value whose qualities are difficult to find elsewhere: young, yet mature, tender and juicy. A tasty product and renowned for its flavour and nutritional quality.

3 - The meat reaches every restaurant and the process of maturation is completed by individual butchers who proceed with preparing selected cuts for display in refrigerated display cases, allowing customers themselves to choose the cuts they want.

4 - The first step is to cut the meat using the "French method". Each cut of the thigh is dissected and cleaned, obtaining up to four portions from just one rump.

5 - The second step is carried out in the kitchen by a grill chef trained in our kitchens. Using a very sharp knife, the meat is cut in the most appropriate direction to obtain the best cuts; in this way, the meat fibres are removed making it possible to produce tasty dishes from the different cuts.

6 - The cooking phase. The meat is first scarred on a burning grill, then cut and put back on the grill before placing on a plate and serving with a choice of side dishes, allowing customers to enjoy food that is always tender and tasty.

7 – Apart from the choice of side dishes, the meat can be seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil and traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena carefully selected by us, two products that carry the “Maxela” brand name but do not add to the final bill. "They are simply an added value of the restaurant, a discretionary highlight to the taste of our meat".