Bistecca alla fiorentina
Bistecca alla fiorentina: Florence's thick T-bone steak, grilled rare
A proper fiorentina is a T-bone cut three fingers thick, traditionally from Tuscany's white Chianina cattle, and Florentine steakhouses sell it by weight and serve it one way only: charred outside, deep red within. It is a sharing steak for three or four, sliced off the bone at the table and finished with nothing more than good olive oil and coarse salt. On one side of the bone sits the tender fillet, on the other the beefier sirloin, and the bone itself gives the meat flavour as it cooks. Cannellini beans with olive oil and sage and a simple green salad are the usual companions. Chef's tip: after searing both flat sides, stand the steak upright on its bone for several minutes; the heat travels up through the bone and cooks the middle evenly without overdoing the outside.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Take 2 ⅝ lb T-bone steak out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking so the middle isn't fridge-cold, keeping it covered on a plate. Use a separate board and knife for the raw meat.
Step 2: Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to very hot, glowing embers with a light layer of ash, or heat a heavy cast-iron griddle over a high heat until smoking.
25 minStep 3: Pat the steak dry and lay it on the grill. Leave it alone, without pressing or moving it, until a dark crust has formed and it releases easily.
5 minStep 4: Turn it with tongs (never a fork, which lets the juices out) and sear the second side the same way.
5 minStep 5: Stand the steak upright on its bone, over a slightly cooler part of the grill or with the griddle heat turned to medium, and cook until the thickest part of the meat (away from the bone) reads 126°F for rare, the Florentine way. Go to 135°F for medium-rare or 145°F for medium.
8 minStep 6: Move it to a warm board, lay 2 sprigs rosemary on top if using, and leave it to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5–10 minutes. Cutting it straight off the grill is the usual mistake: the juices flood the board instead of staying in the meat.
8 minStep 7: Cut the fillet and the sirloin away from the bone and slice each across the grain into 1.5 cm slices. Arrange around the bone.
Step 8: Season generously with 1 ½ tsp coarse sea salt and ½ tsp black pepper, drizzle with 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and serve straight away, with 1 lemon on the side if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 0 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bistecca alla fiorentina take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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