Tuscany's answer to the porterhouse — a 4 cm thick T-bone from Chianina cattle, grilled rare over white-hot embers, served with nothing but salt, pepper, and a wedge of lemon. The simplest and most exacting steak in Italy.
Serves 2 to 3Prep 20 minCook 12 min
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Ingredients
- 1 Chianina or Maremmana T-bone, 4 cm thick (about 1.2 to 1.5 kg), aged at least 21 days
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Extra-virgin Tuscan olive oil
- 1 lemon, halved
- Rosemary sprig (optional)
Method
- 1Take the steak out of the fridge at least 90 minutes before cooking. Tuscans insist on it being warm to the bone.
- 2Build a hardwood or charcoal fire and let it burn down to white-hot embers — you should not be able to hold your hand 10 cm above the grate for more than 2 seconds.
- 3Pat the steak dry. No oil, no salt yet.
- 4Lay the steak directly over the embers. Grill for 5 minutes without moving. Flip once and grill 5 more minutes on the second side.
- 5Stand the steak up on its bone-edge for 2 to 3 minutes to render and crisp the fat strip. Internal temperature should read 50 to 52 °C (122 to 125 °F).
- 6Transfer to a wooden board, season generously with salt and pepper. Rest 8 minutes.
- 7Carve the strip and the fillet off the bone, slice across the grain into 1.5 cm slices. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze lemon over the top.
Chef's tip
If your butcher offers anything thinner than 4 cm, it isn't a fiorentina — ask for a different cut. The exterior char and the rare interior depend on that mass.