The Florentine steak: one of the wonders in Florence

It is definitely one of the most beloved plates in Florence, and maybe in all Tuscany. Well, if you are a vegetarian or you simply don’t love eating meat that much, you can also find your way: panzanella, ribollita, pappa al pomodoro are all traditional specialties that do not include meat in their ingredients. But if your are a real meat eater, the Florentine steak is the best you can have.

Furthermore it is an icon of the city and the legacy of a centuries-old culture, such as the Baptistery, the Duomo or the Ponte Vecchio and it’s no coincidence it comes from the ancient past.

Tradition

It seems that the Florenitne steak was born during the Medici’s time (as many other things in Florence…). For the celebrations of the night of San Lorenzo big bonfires were lit around the city and great quantities of beef meat were roasted and given to the people.

Characteristics

The meat should belong to the Chianina breed. The steak must be cut from the sirloin and it must have the characteristic T-shaped bone with the meat on each side. The cut must be around 5 cm high and must be cooked on the grill, with a very specific method. The meat must come up with a crispy crust on the surface, but it must be rare cooked: the inner part of the steak must be bright red or ‘al sangue’.

Eaten with roasted potatoes, beans or a simple salad and accompanied by a glass of Tuscan red wine is an ecstasy of pleasure.

Where

It is never easy to make a list of restaurants, and it could even sound pretentious. That’s why we just point out some of the typical restaurants in the very centre of Florence, where you can eat a real Bistecca alla Fiorentina:

Trattoria Mario, via Rosina (solo a pranzo)
Antico Ristoro di Cambi, via Sant’Onofrio
Il Latini, via dei Palchetti
I’ Brindellone, piazza Piattellina
Trattoria Sergio Gozzi, piazza San Lorenzo

Otherwise there are two famous and delicious restaurants for bigger budgets:

Buca Lapi, via del Trebbio
Buca dell’Orafo, via dei Girolami