Bistecca alla fiorentina is a bone-in T-bone or porterhouse steak from the Chianina breed — the world's largest and oldest cattle breed, raised in the Valdichiana (Chiana Valley) of Tuscany since Etruscan times. The steak is cut at least 4cm thick (the "three-finger rule" — hold three fingers against the steak; if it's thinner than your three fingers, it's not bistecca), seared over white-hot oak or olive wood coals, and served very rare (al sangue) with nothing but salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
The Chianina steer produces beef that is leaner than Angus or Hereford but with a more intense, cleaner beef flavour — less marbled, more mineral, with a distinctive sweetness in the fat. The T-bone cut includes both the strip loin and the tenderloin, separated by the T-shaped bone. The steak is brought to room temperature (at least one hour out of the fridge), seasoned only with coarse salt, and placed on a grate 10–15cm above a bed of white-hot coals (preferably oak or olive wood — the traditional Tuscan fuel).
- **Three fingers thick.** Less than 4cm, the steak overcooks before the exterior achieves sufficient crust. The thickness is what allows the centre to remain rare while the surface achieves a deep Maillard char. - **No oil on the grate.** The intense heat prevents sticking. Oil would burn and produce off-flavours. - **Five minutes per side, no touching.** The steak goes on, and you do not move it, flip it, press it, or look at it for five minutes. Then flip once. Five more minutes. Then stand the steak on its bone edge for 2–3 minutes (the bone is the last part to cook — standing it on the bone equalises temperature). - **Rest five minutes.** The internal temperature will rise 3–5°C during rest. - **Serve with nothing.** Salt, pepper, a drizzle of Tuscan olio nuovo. No sauce. The point of bistecca alla fiorentina is the beef itself — any sauce is an admission that the beef is not good enough.
ITALIAN REGIONAL DEEP — THE FIVE KINGDOMS