Bistecca alla
Fiorentina
Thick-cut Florentine T-bone steak
A thick T-bone steak grilled over hot coals, with a browned crust and a traditionally rare center, usually shared at the table.
At the Tuscan table.A thick cut.
A simple preparation.
Bistecca alla fiorentina is a thick T-bone steak, cut with both the fillet and sirloin attached. Grilling over hot coals gives it a browned crust; in Florence, the center is traditionally served rare. Salt, pepper and a little olive oil keep the focus on the beef.
It is a Tuscan secondo made for sharing. Restaurants often price it by weight, so agree on the size and total cost before ordering. A dish of beans or seasonal vegetables makes a useful accompaniment, ordered separately as a contorno.
Explore by food: Meat
Let’s make bistecca alla fiorentina.
Use a thick steak and a grill with a hot zone and a cooler zone. Judge the center with a thermometer.
1 bone-in steak, about 1.2 kg; serves 2–3
What you’ll need
- 1.2 kgT-bone or porterhouse steak, about 4–5 cm thick
- 1 tspflaky sea salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tspfreshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil, to finish
Florentine restaurants traditionally serve this steak rarer than the home method above. The 63°C/145°F endpoint follows USDA guidance, which also requires at least 3 minutes of rest. Allow extra time to light charcoal; the 50-minute estimate starts with a ready grill.
How to make it
- 01
Prepare the grill
Set up a charcoal or gas grill with one very hot cooking zone and one cooler zone. Clean the grate. Keep the steak refrigerated while the grill heats, then pat it dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Allow about 10 minutes for this preparation once the grill is ready.
- 02
Brown both sides
Place the steak over the hot zone. Grill for about 5–6 minutes on each broad side, moving it if flames flare up. Use tongs rather than a fork so you do not puncture the meat. The surface should be deeply browned without a burnt crust.
- 03
Finish to temperature
Move the steak to the cooler zone and close the lid. Cook for roughly 10–18 minutes more, turning once and checking frequently. Insert a thermometer into the thickest flesh, away from the bone. For this home preparation, reach 63°C/145°F before taking it off the grill; thickness and heat will change the timing.
- 04
Rest, carve and season
Rest on a warm board for 10 minutes. Cut the meat away from the bone, then slice across the grain. Scatter over the salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Serve the fillet and sirloin together so everyone can try both.
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