Florentine T-Bone Steak

La storia di questo piatto

In Tuscany, the Fiorentina is less a dish than a rite: a thick T-bone of Chianina, bare of any sauce, carrying the whole proud simplicity of the table. Coarse sea salt, fresh black pepper and Tuscan extra virgin olive oil ask only to stand beside the beef, never to hide it.

Ingredienti

• 1000 g Chianina beef T-bone steak, bone-in, 4-5 cm thick
• 10 g Coarse sea salt
• 2 g Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Tuscan extra virgin olive oil

Preparazione

1. Take the Chianina T-bone out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking, so that it reaches room temperature all the way to the center and cooks evenly. The cut should be 4-5 cm thick (at least four fingers), bone-in. During this rest, get started on lighting the fire (step 2): the two steps run in parallel.
2. About 10 minutes after the meat begins resting, light the oak or olive wood embers: it will take 35-40 minutes for white ash to form and the flames to die down, so the embers will be ready just as the meat reaches room temperature (this step overlaps with step 1). The embers are ready when the surface ash is white and there are no more flames: holding your hand 10 cm above the grate, you should be able to endure 3-4 seconds. If you like, prepare the embers in two zones, one hotter and one cooler.
3. Pat the T-bone dry with kitchen paper: moisture prevents a crust from forming. Do not salt or pepper it yet: the salt is added during cooking and the pepper only at the end, because on the embers it would burn and turn bitter.
4. Place the T-bone on the grill, over medium-high embers, and let it cook for 5-6 minutes without moving it, until a golden, well-seared crust forms.
5. Turn the steak only once with tongs, not a fork, so as not to pierce the meat and lose its juices. Sprinkle half the coarse salt on the side just turned and cook another 5-6 minutes.
6. Lift the steak and stand it upright on the bone, supporting it with tongs, for 2-3 minutes: this brings the heat to the center and cooks the meat near the bone thoroughly. Sear the fat edge for about 1 minute as well. Sprinkle with the remaining salt.
7. Check the temperature with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part, away from the bone. Remove the steak from the embers at 47-50°C at the center: with residual heat it will rise to 52-54°C, rare/pink as is traditional. If the temperature has not been reached, continue cooking one minute at a time, rechecking.
8. Transfer the steak to a cutting board or warm plate and let it rest for 5 minutes, so the juices redistribute through the meat.
9. After resting, grind fresh black pepper over the meat and finish with a drizzle of raw Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. Cut the meat from the bone, slice, and serve immediately. The traditional version does not include lemon.