Bistecca Forentina

BBQ Italian Steak Style

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Bistecca Forentina, fancy sounding title for an Italian steak over the coals BBQ, can be a quite delicious meal.  This can be cooked on the campfire as a favorite cook out or on you home charcoal BBQ or grill.  We like to grill.  The Italian version cooks the steak roughly 4 inches over the coals.  The best Bistecca Forentina is made from the best Italian beef – Chianina beef.  This beef comes from huge white oxen raised, near Arezzo in the Val di Chiana.  Due to their size a steak from these monoliths can weigh as much as six pounds!  This beef has exceptional flavor and unlike so much of European beef is really tender.  Here in the states  Angus combines excellent taste with tenderness, you would choose the Porterhouse steak.

Ingredients:

2 inch thick steak Porterhouse steak is the traditional meat cut (you can substitute with a T-bone, Rib-eye steak).

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea Salt

a little oil for the grill

Let your meat “rest” outside of the refrigerator for 1 hour before cooking. Then season (liberally) with both the sea salt and the freshly ground pepper.  The palm of your hand is best used to “press” the seasoning into the meat. Use a clean, hot oiled grill.Cooking time for your steak will be 5-6 minutes per side. You’ll want to move the steak every two minutes to get even cooking.

As with all cooked meat, when done remove from heat.  Place on a platter or carving board, cover with foil and a clean dish towel and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

To serve with flair, we suggest the following;  Place the baked potato top left on the individual plate.  Thinly slice your steak, position just below the center of your individual serving plate in a “fan” position.  Then top with the arugula salad. (recipe below)

Arugula Salad,

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme chopped (1 – 1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 1/2 cups Arugula leaves

1 clove minced garlic

2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling…

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea Salt

Parmesan shavings.  (or coarsely shredded) for flavor and effect

Wash and dry Arugula leaves. Mix lemon juice and olive oil and pinch of sea salt add garlic and Thyme. Pour over Arugula, add Parmesan shavings and toss to coat evenly.  Heap on sliced steak, arrange and add a bit of freshly ground black pepper.

Beautiful, tasty and E-Z!

 Wine Choice:

Our wine choice for this beef dish is the 96 point (Robert Parker) 2010 John Duval “Entity” Shiraz from  Barossa Valley in Southern Australia.  This Shiraz is a full-bodied wine and densely packed with black berry preserve and baking spice flavors.  The is a refreshing acid line which adds lift and some medium tannins.  We suggest getting a couple of extra bottles to lay away in your cellar. This wine will only keep getting better with age and can be enjoyed until 2024+.
$32.95 price estimate

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