Bistecca Alla Fiorentina Recipe (Florentine Steak)
Published December 28, 2018. 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 that is grilled to perfection and brushed with butter and fresh herbs.
Man do I love steak, and this may be one of the best ever. I’m actually not a huge meat eater anymore, but golly is this one worth craving, making, and eating.
Also known as Florentine Steak, may be new to you but it’s been going down for years across Italy and Italian restaurants in the US.
What is It
This is a super classical Italian recipe that you’ll see at any traditional Italian restaurant.
This gigantic steak is a 2 ½ to 3-pound porterhouse which features a strip steak and a filet mignon in one beautiful cut.
It’s originally founded in Florence, Tuscany and to be true to this recipe it must feature the porterhouse steak. Anything else is a lie!
Classically it’s simply 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.
How to Prepare It
I’ve eaten Bistecca Alla Fiorentina at a few different restaurants across the US and I have to say the ones that have a little twist to them are probably my favorite.
Since I love the way these were prepared, I thought I’d make my own rendition. I made a very simple seasoning blend of onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. It’s tasty, it’s rustic and it is just what’s needed for this recipe.
The other piece to prep is the herbs. Wrap together some fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage with some butcher’s twine because we are going to use it as a brush to brush the steak with.
The meat will pick up some hints of fresh herbs and it just helps make it over the edge of goodness. Once the prep is done, simply brush with oil on all sides and season it generously.
Yes, you will probably have some leftover seasonings but if you don’t and use it all, good on you!
How to Grill Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
I’ve been grilling meat ever since the first restaurant I’ve 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 it’s grilled over the open flame, but it’s totally cool to do it in a grill pan or even just a big cast-iron skillet.
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.
How to Serve
Serving a Bistecca Alla Fiorentina 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 really cool rustic look.
My Favorite Steak Recipes
If you love this then you’ll love these 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 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.
Nutrition
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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!