BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA
TWO THINGS make for a great grilled steak: the meat itself and the skill of the person doing the grilling, a skill acquired through experience. Real Florentine steak is made with real Florentine beef—namely, from massive oxen raised near Arezzo in the Chiana Valley. A typical Florentine steak is huge—around 5 or 6 pounds—and is meant to be shared among several diners. The cut closest to what the Florentines savor is a porter house, aged well.
- 1 aged (2- inch- thick) porter house, 2 to 21⁄2 pounds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat the grill to very hot (a charcoal grill is really best for steaks).
- Place the steak on the grill and sear it. You don’t want grill marks on this steak. As soon as it sears on one side, fl ip the steak and season it generously with salt and pepper. Grill for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the steak comes off the grill easily.
- Flip it again, salt and pepper the other side and keep it on the grill another 3 to 4 minutes. For a medium- rare porter house, the average cooking time is a total of about 9 minutes per side. Remove and let it stand for 5 minutes. Cut the steak on an angle into 1⁄4- inch slices and serve.