Bistecca alla fiorentina
Bistecca alla fiorentina
A thick-cut beef T-bone, with fillet and sirloin on either side of the bone, grilled rare over glowing charcoal embers — a Florentine regional dish. Traditionally made with young Chianina beef, seasoned with nothing more than salt, pepper, and good olive oil so the meat itself is the point.
Florence, Tuscany
Florence — One theory traces its origin to meat grilled over bonfires and handed out during the Feast of San Lorenzo on August 10.
Main ingredients
- Thick-cut beef loin, bone-in (Chianina or similar)
- Coarse salt
- Black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
How it goes
These are the bones of the method. Quantities and detail live in the sources.
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Bring to room temperature
Let the aged meat come close to room temperature at the core before grilling.
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Build the embers
Burn a hardwood charcoal — oak, holm oak, or olive — down to glowing embers with no open flame. No flat-top griddle, gas, or electric grill.
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Sear over high heat on both sides
Sear the surface close to the embers first, then move it a little farther away and cook 3-5 minutes per side. Turn only once, using tongs — never anything that pierces the meat.
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Stand it on the bone
Stand the steak up on its bone edge and cook for 5-7 minutes to bring the meat near the bone up to temperature. Some cooks skip this step.
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Finish with salt and oil
Once done, season with coarse salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and carve. The center should stay red and warm.
Pasta it follows
Why it works
PomodoroGoing from a plain tomato primo to a thick charcoal-grilled steak follows the classic primo-to-secondo arc of rising weight. In Tuscany the meat is the star and the primo stays light — the basic rule of the meal. 
Spaghetti alle vongoleLeading with a light seafood primo lets the fat and char of the red meat that follows really stand out — the right order to avoid the weight ever going backward. 
Aglio, olio e peperoncinoAs about the lightest possible primo — just oil and garlic — it hands the weight off to the secondo without competing, letting the charcoal aroma stay the star of the meal.