Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a Tuscan method of serving steak.

In the authentic version, the beef used comes from Chianina cattle; some people allow "Maremmana" cattle.

The steak is charcoal grilled and seasoned with salt and pepper. It is always cooked rare to medium-rare.

The steak used should be 1 3/4 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) thick. The thickness is gauged by the thickness of the T-bone. Porterhouse is the best cut; failing that a T-Bone, and failing that, a strip steak. Absolute purists say that the T-bone should have filet on one side, and sirloin on the other, be 3 cm high, and be from a calf. The overall weight will be 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (700 to 900 g.)

This size will serve two people. The steak is cut before serving, rather than plunked whole on your plate Texas-style.

Traditionally, Bistecca alla Fiorentina was served with beans in olive oil and sage. In restaurants in Florence, it is served by the "etto" (100 g / 4 oz sizes.) It used to be served with a pat of butter on top as a condiment. Now, a wedge of lemon is also common. The meat should be out of the refrigerator for at least an hour before starting. It is grilled on a heated grill about 4 inches (10 cm) above the coals. The grill should be heated first, but not so much that it burns lines into the meat.

• Sear first one side a bit, flip, then salt;
• Sear second side a bit, flip, then salt;
• Sear again a bit, flip, then pepper;
• Sear again a bit, flip, then pepper;
• Allow about 5 minutes in total for each side.

Some people do the 5 minutes per side without salt and peppering it. They then put it on a warmed platter, salt and pepper the two sides, then let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

Variations in seasoning include rubbing the finished steak with a clove of garlic, or lightly drizzling it with olive oil.
The steak cut used in Bistecca alla Fiorentina is not actually a traditional Tuscan meat cut. As the name would indicate, it was adopted from the English word "beefsteak", and in fact, it was wealthy English tourists on the grand tour of Italy with their love for beef who introduced demand for the cut.

The dish was banned from April 2001 until Dec 2005 by the EU. The ban was on selling beef with the bone attached from cows that were more than 12 months old. Traditionally, 18 month old cows were used.

The ban began on 1 April 2001 when Italy had its first case of mad cow disease in January 2001. The dish was still made in a way -- they would serve it minus the part of the bone that had marrow in it.

But this being Italy, trusted customers were able to get it their Bistecca alla Fiorentina the traditional way, despite the ban.

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