Florentine steak, or bistecca alla florentine, is an Italian beef made from veal or heifer, mixed with special preparation, which makes it one of Italy’s most famous dishes. It’s a high-quality cut of meat, prepared with a good amount of “meat” cooking, on either the grill or on the gas embers. The main ingredients for this dish include veal, broccoli, garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, spinach and herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme.
During medieval times, the family of the bridesman would send its preparations to the family of the groom so that everything is ready for his wedding day. This dish was first served on that very day. The word “florentine” comes from the Latin word for fresh, so this dish literally means “fresh meat or veal”. The recipe for the alla florentine originally included sweetbreads (basil), cheese, wine, butter, fresh spring onions, chopped and dried oregano, parsley, lemon juice and the aforementioned olives. These ingredients were mixed and then slowly roasted over an open fire.
How To Prepare Florentine Steak
To prepare the bistecca alla florentine, a fillet is placed on a hot fire and slowly lowered into the centre of a thick layer of fat that rises around the outside of the meat. In general, the fillet steak should be cooked for approximately 1 hour and a half. The flavour of this steak is very mild, which explains why it goes well with milder sauces. It goes well with different kinds of meats, too, including chicken, pork, beef, turkey and salmon. Even a vegetarian can appreciate this delectable piece of steak.
To make sure that the meat is moist enough when cooking, do not forget to let the meat reach room temperature. Also, remember to trim off the extra fat that surrounds the joint or other cuts in the steak. When you take the fillet off, it will be nice and square with nice pink juices oozing out. You can season your fillet with herbs, seasoning and pepper, or you can add a lot of Jif lemon juice and white wine to bring out the natural flavours of the meat.
Eat When Cold
This steak is best enjoyed when it is served cold. Due to the nature of a rare alla florentine, it is considered to be one of the more delicate steaks. So unless you really want to treat yourself to a rare steak, you’ll probably want to stick with something else like a medium-well or a medium.
Another way to prepare this steak is by pan-frying it. This can yield nice results as well, but it takes approximately half the time that grilling would. Pan-frying steak on a hot pan is ideal when using a gas burner, as it gives the steak a nice, even colour. If you’re using a charcoal grill, you can brown the steak without pan-frying it, but be aware that the flavours will be a bit duller. Cook it to finish a medium-rare, which yields medium-tender flavorful steaks.
