Bistecca alla Fiorentina

As any man who’s ever been at a loss for a pick up line has invariably learned, everyone loves Italian food. When you’ve made small talk long enough and move in to seal a rendezvous but can’t think of what to ask the fail safe is always, “So, do you like Italian food?” And while it’s cliche and unimaginative the answer will almost always be positive. This by no means ensures a date, but at least lets you know the subject of your affection isn’t so repulsed as to lie to get out of being asked.

And why do Americas love Italian food? Because, by and large, it’s American food with the ingredients rearranged or presented with that Mediterranean flair we so desire. There are great exceptions to this–veal saltimboca has yet to be accurately reproduced by a non-Italian–but there are also examples of dishes so similar to ours that it’s only the little touches that make it different. From Tuscany comes one such dish: Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a traditional and favorite dish in Tuscany. To truly be Bistecca alla Fiorentina the steak must be a t-bone or porterhouse cut from Chianina beef. Chianina is not native only to Tuscany, but it is one of the most popular breeds there, as abroad. The recipe is very simple: take a moderate to thick cut, brush it with olive oil and cook it over a high wood flame or brightly glowing charcoal. Generally it is cooked rare with salt, pepper and occasionally other spices added halfway through cooking. That’s it.

Served with Tuscany beans it’s like having Tuscany at your dinner table, and no one will feel challenged by foreign cuisine. Enjoy!