T-Bone Fiorentina with Sauteed Spinach & D

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is the most famous steak in Tuscany and the rules are non-negotiable. A T-bone at least three inches thick. Salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. Charred hard over high heat. And rare, properly rare, with a cool ruby center. Anything else is just steak.

The T-bone splits the difference between strip steak and tenderloin with the bone running between them. Char the outside aggressively for that black-edged crust the Italians call croccante. Twelve minutes on the first side and nine on the second pulls a properly rare interior under that charred shell.

Let it rest five minutes before carving. The bone makes it impossible to slice the whole thing as one piece, so the move is to cut off the filet on one side and the strip on the other, then slice each across the grain for plating.

The spinach plays the supporting role. Garlic slices crisped in smoking-hot olive oil hit four pounds of spinach (sounds like a lot but it cooks down dramatically), then a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Drizzle each plate with a generous pour of good extra-virgin oil to finish.

Chef Tips

• Use the best beef you can afford. There’s nowhere to hide on this preparation.
• Pat the steak bone-dry before seasoning. Wet meat won’t char.
• The salt looks like a lot but a thick steak needs it. Most falls off during cooking.
• Rest the meat on a cooling rack, not directly on a plate, so the bottom crust stays crisp.

Variations

• Finish with a squeeze of lemon over the carved meat (a Tuscan classic).
• Swap spinach for bitter greens like rapini or escarole.
• Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the sliced meat just before serving.