Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
Bistecca alla Fiorentina requires specific elements: Chianina beef (a Tuscan breed prized since Roman times), cut at least three fingers thick including the bone, grilled over oak or olive wood, served rare. The steak is traditionally a T-bone or porterhouse, weighing 1-1.5 kg, seasoned only with salt and finished with olive oil. The Chianina cattle produce exceptionally lean, flavorful beef. The dish dates to at least the Renaissance, when Florentine nobles celebrated the feast of San Lorenzo with bonfires and grilled meat. The 1990s BSE crisis threatened bistecca when T-bone cuts were briefly banned. Proper bistecca is charred outside, cool and red inside, carved tableside and eaten communally.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- wood-fired grill (500°F+ surface) — Provides intense wood-fired heat for searing steaks with proper char and smoky flavor
Ingredients
Instructions
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Temper to room temp
Bring steak to room temperature, 1 hour minimum.
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On the grill
Grill over very high heat (450-500°F surface) (wood fire ideally). Cook 5-7 minutes per side for rare. Stand on bone edge 2 minutes. Season with salt only AFTER cooking.
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Drizzle with oil
Rest 5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil. Offer pepper and lemon on side. Serve on wooden board.