THE REAL BARBECUE FIORENTINA STEAK - All the steps to avoid mistakes

If you have a kettle and need to cook a Florentine steak, this is the recipe for you. We'll show you how to make a perfect Florentine steak using the same barbecue we all started with.

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INGREDIENTS

• Fiorentina

• Oil

• Salt

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PREPARATION

There are many techniques for cooking steaks, and they differ from one another based on the culinary-cultural context, the tools available, and personal preferences.

There are no right or wrong techniques, but there are techniques that are more or less suitable depending on the cooking tools available and the cuts we need to cook.

We will cook a Florentine steak using a classic technique, using a charcoal barbecue.

But let's start from the beginning: Florentine steak refers to any cut of meat that includes a fillet and a sirloin, of any breed.

In America, Florentine steaks are even renamed according to their size: if a Florentine cut has a larger fillet it is called Porterhouse, if instead it has a smaller portion of fillet it is called T-Bone.

Why do we call it Florentine? Because historically, Tuscans claim its origins and identify it solely with the Chianina breed. But as we've said, a Florentine steak is any cut of meat consisting of a fillet and a sirloin; the breed has nothing to do with it.

Let's start with the recipe.

We need to preheat the barbecue by lighting the coals evenly and setting it up for a 50/50 setup. This means that all the coals should be covered with a layer of ash and should be poured onto the grill in one of the two halves.

Let's open all the vents; we'll need maximum heat. We'll distinguish two cooking phases: the first will be direct cooking, where we'll sear the meat, while the second will be indirect cooking to achieve the actual doneness.

Let's get back to the meat. If the Florentine steak arrives vacuum-packed, it should be removed from the refrigerator at least two hours beforehand, including from the bag.

Furthermore, it must be dried and cleaned with a cloth to remove any moisture and bone residue left over from the slaughter process. This step is very important because moisture is the enemy of cauterization.

To effectively cauterize, we use a thin layer of oil, which will help us better transmit the heat. It's best to use a more neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point.

Before grilling, remember to score the fat layer with a knife, which helps relax muscle tension that could distort the steak during cooking. Take advantage of this opportunity to remove any excess or loosely adhered fat.

As mentioned, the first phase is searing, so we place the meat on the grill directly above the embers and close the lid.

By placing the lid on, we will prevent flames from developing from the burning fat.

After about a minute, we turn it over onto the other side (side B). We'll then have to turn it over again, from side A to side B, one more time. This will give the heat time to penetrate more effectively, without burning it.

Trust your eye to know when to turn it, look carefully at the streaks because they must be well marked.

Once the Florentine steak has been properly seared, we can proceed to the second phase of cooking, the indirect one.

If we were to try to measure the inside of the steak with a thermometer right now, we'd notice that it's barely reached 13°C, yet the outside looks inviting. This is the mistake many grill restaurants make: they serve meat that's undercooked and often cold inside.

To keep it rare and cook it inside we need to reach a temperature of 50°C at the core.

The target temperature should be reached by placing the ribeye away from the coals (on the half of the grill without charcoal underneath) with the bone facing toward the charcoal. If it fits on the grill, you can also leave it standing on the bone.

We close the lid and set a temperature starting from 150°C.

The only way to estimate doneness is to rely on a thermometer, be it a manual roast thermometer or a probe.

Once cooking is finished, a crucial part for a perfect result arrives: the resting phase.

This step is important because the meat rests and the temperature drops, allowing the juices to return from a more liquid and fluid state to a more viscous and thick one. This way, when cut, they won't spill out onto the cutting board, but will remain inside the meat, making it softer and juicier.

The resting phase can coincide with the time it takes to remove the meat from the heat, place it on a cutting board, and prepare the knives: about 4-5 minutes.

The Florentine steak is cut into two distinct muscle groups: the sirloin and the fillet, and it's important to keep them separate even when portioning. Simply slide the knife along the T-bone to separate the two cuts.

We will portion the meat with the knife tilted at 45 degrees, so as to better cut the meat fibers and make each slice even more tender.

Another tip for perfect presentation is to serve the slices on a preheated cast iron platter, but make sure it's never too hot, so as not to overcook the meat.

If we have done things correctly, we will notice that the meat is rare, of a uniform pink colour throughout the internal part and has not lost any liquid during the cutting phase.

All that's left to do is add a light sprinkle of salt and serve the perfect kettle-cooked Florentine steak.