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Epicurious

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

It’s not much different from an American steak, but the combination of cut (almost always a T-bone, though occasionally you’ll see ribeye), olive oil, and lemon juice marks this preparation as distinctly Tuscan. If you can find a piece of dry-aged prime meat, go for it. I love the combination of steak and bread, and of course tomato or other salad, but you can use any typical steak side dishes you like—even in Italy they might serve this with French fries.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

One 2-pound porterhouse or T-bone steak, about 1 3/4 inches thick
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler; the fire should be quite hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Grill the steak for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning only once (an instant-read thermometer should read about 125°F when inserted into the thickest part); cooking time, of course, will depend on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the fire.

    Step 2

    Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Put on a platter and drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with the lemon wedges.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
TagsItalianEuropeanSteakBeefMeatMainDinnerNut FreeGluten FreeDairy Free5 Ingredients or FewerGrillingCookbooks
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