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Title: Beefsteak Florentine Style (Bistecca Alla Fiorentina)
Yield: 0 Servings

Ingredients

      1    porterhouse steak;
           -preferably aged 2 to
      2    fresh rosemary sprigs
      6    anchovy fillets
      1 tb coarse sea salt
      3 tb olive oil; or as needed

Instructions

Remove the steak to room temperature 2 to 3 hours before cooking it.

Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and chop them coarsely. Combine
the rosemary, anchovies and salt in a mortar and crush them with a pestle
to a coarse paste. Drizzle in enough of the oil, while continuing to grind
the mixture with the pestle, until the mixture is thin enough to spread
smoothly. Set aside.

Light a hardwood charcoal fire in a grill and place the grill rack about 4
inches from the heat. When the flames have died down and the coals are
glowing bright red, place the steak over the heat. Allow it cook, without
moving it, until the underside is well browned 8 to 9 minutes. Turn the
steak with tongs and cook until the second side is well browned and the
meat is rare at the thickest part close to the bone. The meat should fell
springy to the touch. (If you like, you may judge the doneness of the steak
with an instant reading meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the
thickest part of the steak close to the bone. The steak is cooked rare
when the thermometer reads 120ø F.) Transfer the steak to a carving board.
Rub a generous amount of the anchovy mixture into both sides of the steak
and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

To carve and serve the steak, first cut the meat away from both sides of
the T-bone. Cut each piece of meat on a slight angle into 1/2-inch slices.
Reform the slices and place them back next to the bone. Bring the steak
to the table like this, right on the board and serve slices from the board.

Cuisine:
"Italian"
Source:
"Lidia's Italian Table"
S(Formatted by):
"Lindell Martin on May 6, 2000"

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Per serving: 666 Calories (kcal); 62g Total Fat; (84% calories from fat);
25g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 85mg Cholesterol; 6572mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 10
1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : As a rule, Italians don't eat big pieces of meat, especially cooked
al sangue(rare). But in Tuscany the Bistecca alla Fiorentina is revered.
The dish seems to have its origins with the many people from Northern
Europe who fell in love with the countryside around Florence and decided to
move to Tuscany. In fact, so many English relocated to the Chianti area
that is has been dubbed "Chiantishire."

The preparation of the steak is very simple. The real secret to this dish
lies in selecting the best steak possible. Bistecca alla Fiorentina is
made with a very thick Porterhouse steak, which is similar to a T-bone
steak, but with a larger cross section of the tenderloin (filet mignon)
along one side of the "T". If possible, select a prime or 'top choice'
steak that has been aged properly for two to three weeks. The steak isn't
seasoned at all before cooking, but afterward, while it's resting, I rub it
with a mixture of anchovy, rosemary and coarse sea salt and allow that
mixture to
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 4860 0

Contributor: Lidia Bastianich

Preparation Time: 0:00

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