Bistecca Alla Fiorentina Recipe (Florentine Steak)
Published August 23, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Meet the king of all steaks, Bistecca Alla Fiorentina Recipe. Seasoned 3-pound porterhouse steak grilled to perfection and brushed with butter and fresh herbs.
Also known as Florentine Steak, this large cut of meat has been a traditional dish served for years across Italy and Italian restaurants in the US.
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
This is a classical Italian recipe that you’ll see at any traditional Italian restaurant. The Bistecca Alla Fiorentina is a huge 2 ½ to 3-pound porterhouse steak with a New York strip steak on one side and a filet mignon on the other.
It was originally founded in Florence, Tuscany, and to be true to this recipe. It must feature the porterhouse steak. Anything else strips it of its authenticity. Classically it’s seasoned with salt, brushed with olive oil, and grilled. That’s it. I, of course, changed this recipe up a little bit just to put my little touch on it.
Ingredients
- Steak – You will need a 2 to 3-pound bone-in porterhouse steak.
- Herbs – I like to use a combination of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme.
- Seasonings – In addition to salt and pepper, you can use a little granulated garlic and onion to enhance the flavor.
- Fat – You will need some good olive oil and unsalted butter for this recipe.
How to Grill Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
I’ve been grilling meat since the first restaurant I worked in 25 years ago, and I’ve changed how I like it cooked over the years. I’m a rare + guy these days, so I’m grilling this for just a few minutes per side.
Classically Florentine steak is grilled over the open flame, but it’s ok to do it in a grill pan or even just a big cast-iron skillet.
Make the baster by wrapping the fresh herbs up in butcher’s twine.
Next, brush both sides of the steak with olive oil.
Season the steak on both sides with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic granules.
Make sure your griddle is hot before placing down your meat, and cook it for 4-6 minutes per side for a beautiful rare steak. If you like more of a medium-rare internal temperature, then add 2 minutes per side when cooking.
While the meat is cooking, be sure to baste it with the butter and brush it with the fresh herbs for just an awesome little added touch to this recipe. Once the steak is done, let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes.
Serving a Florentine Steak is as simple as brushing it one last time with the butter and herbs and carving the cuts of steak away from the bone. Slice the strip steak and filet mignon away from the T-bone and then slice those cuts on a bias and serve it all next to the bone for a cool rustic look.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This steak is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking.
How to Store: You can keep this covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.
How to Reheat: When reheating any piece of meat, it will raise the internal temperature. Re-sear it in a hot pan with lightly smoked oil or on a hot grill until warm.
chef notes + tips
- You can use different herbs than what I used for brushing the Florentine steak.
- For sure, try cooking this on an open flame grill.
- You can purchase up to a 3-pound or 3″ thick steak for this.
My Favorite Steak Recipes
- Grilled Carne Asada Steak Fajitas
- Grilled T Bone Steak Recipe
- Steak Frites Recipe with Lemon Butter
- Bone-In Ribeye Steak Recipe
- Chopped Steak Recipe
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this, then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.
Video
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina Recipe (Florentine Steak)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 ½ to 3- pound porterhouse steak
- 2 sprigs each of fresh rosemary, sage and thyme wrapped with butchers twine at the root end.
- 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Brush the olive oil all over the porterhouse steak, then season it generously with the spice blend you just made.
- Place the steak on a hot grill 450° to 550°) or griddle pan and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side for a rare internal temperature. Add 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time per side for medium-rare internal temperature.
- Once you flip the steak for the first time, begin to baste it by dipping the herbs in the melted butter and brushing the steak with them.
- Once the steak is done cooking, let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes before carving the strip and filet mignon away from the bone and slicing them.
- Serve warm.
Mad it this evening however used my favorite cut of meat ( A 2” thick Tenderloin)! Melt in your mouth tasty! Also made Parmesan potatoes and broccoli.
Well Chef Billy, I love your recipes but here’s where the rubber hits the pavement. I can’t eat less than a medium steak, which I’ve eaten some beautifully grilled ones but I can’t cook one to save my life! Please advise me on how to get a medium steak that’s juicy & tender. I usually buy ribeye with occasional tbone, or a strip. Thank you!
Excellent!
Hi Billy, love your style of presenting !! I am not so big on onion and garlic seasoning, so I ground some herbs (fresh rosemary, mint, lavender calyxes and thyme) and mixed this with sea salt, then basted the steak with the herb salt and melted butter which results in an extreme flavour taste. I also serve the herb salt on the side.
How many times are you flipping the steak? Shows only once which means only one side gets basted….or should I flip it every few minutes to continuously baste both sides? Appreciate your thoughts.
I flip once, maybe twice. The basting is just to get some of that herb flavor in there, it’s not going to make it more juicy or tender.
So talking with chefs in Firenze who I thought made the best versions of this, they all claimed that the grilling method was what was crucial (as well as getting your beef from the correct cow, correctly raised, butchered, and aged). They told me the steaks needed to be large because they were cooked over a hot wood fire standing upright on the bone, cooking from both sides at once. Is this folklore?
Of course living in Florence Italy helps with selecting the correct cow, but since I live in Chicago that is a no go. It is at least a 3 lb t-bone steak and should be cooked over a grill, and preferably a wood burning one. It is to be marked on all sides, which is why they said standing it up. You do this because the steak is so thick and it should be cooked on all sides. Different methods based on different chefs will still get you what you are looking for. When I made this it was dead of winter in Chicago, so not happening on my green egg 🙂
This steak is absolutely beautiful and looks soo good!
Thank you kindly, it was dang tasty!
I am DROOLING over this steak – so delicious and perfect every time!
Thanks Courtney, I agree!
That steak looks so amazing! I can’t stop looking at it. lol yum
Thanks Becky haha, it is nice to look at!
Whoa, this is cooked to perfection! Gorgeous!
Thanks Lauren! It’s all about the rare to medium-rare 🙂
Wow this looks heavenly. I can’t stop drooling right now I need this in my life.
Thanks Alli, it is ridiculous lol!