Bistecca alla Fiorentina — Florentine T-Bone Steak

Florence and Tuscany — the bistecca alla Fiorentina is associated with the Chianina breed native to the Val di Chiana in southern Tuscany and Umbria. The preparation is documented from the 15th century; the name 'beefsteak' is believed to have been adopted from English merchants who visited the Medici court's St John's Day feast where large beef steaks were grilled.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is Italy's most celebrated grilled meat preparation — a T-bone or porterhouse steak from the Chianina breed (specifically the Vitellone Bianco dell'Appennino Centrale IGP, the large white cattle of the central Italian highlands), minimum 600g (traditionally 1-1.5kg), cut to a thickness of 4-5 fingers (roughly 5-6cm), grilled over live oak or vine-branch embers until charred on the exterior and left rare to the bone interior. The rules are inflexible: no marinade, no sauces, no oil during cooking, no resting for more than 5 minutes. The steak is positioned upright on the T-bone for the final 5 minutes to warm the meat near the bone.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina at the table is 1.2kg of charred, rare, aromatic beef on a wooden board — the exterior is almost black from the ember char; the interior is deep pink at the edge, fading to bright red at the bone. A squeeze of lemon over the charred exterior. The flavour is the Chianina breed — clean, slightly sweet, and deeply beefy without excessive fat. It is eaten at the table with olive oil and rosemary-roasted potatoes alongside. Nothing more is needed.