Tuscan Steak And Salad Recipes

STEAK SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.
• Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.
• Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

GRILLED TUSCAN TUNA SALAD

Steps:

• For the tuna: Remove the tuna from the refrigerator 20 minutes before grilling. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling. Mix together the fennel, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Brush the tuna with canola oil on both sides and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Grill until charred on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into medium dice.
• For the salad dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, rosemary, anchovies and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking, until it all emulsifies. For a sweeter and thicker texture, whisk in a teaspoon of honey at a time, until desired taste and consistency is reached.
• For the salad: Combine the beans, olives, fennel, onion and tuna in a large bowl. Add the dressing and gently toss to coat. Add the greens, basil and parsley , season with salt and pepper, and toss again.
• For serving: Mound the salad on a platter and sprinkle the remaining lemon juice over the top.

TUSCAN TOSSED SALAD

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake at 400° for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack., For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, basil, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper and remaining oil. In a large bowl, combine the greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, celery, onion and red peppers., In a 3-qt. trifle bowl or deep salad bowl, layer with a third of the bread cubes and a third of the greens mixture; drizzle with a third of the dressing. Repeat layers twice. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA (TUSCAN PORTERHOUSE)

Steps:

• Press chopped rosemary onto both sides of porterhouse steak; set onto a plate and allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Start an outdoor grill using hardwood charcoal, such as hickory. When coals are white and glowing, arrange for high heat.
• Gently brush or rub olive oil onto steak, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
• Place steak onto grill, and cook until a dark, golden brown (not burnt) crust forms, 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of meat. Turn over, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. When finished, place steak onto a platter, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• To serve, remove the two pieces of meat from the bone, and replace the bone onto the serving platter. Trim any unwanted fat from the round (tenderloin) steak, slice into 6 equal pieces at an angle to the grain, and fan out on one side of the bone. Slice the rectangular (loin) steak into 1/4-inch slices at an angle to the grain. Fan out on the other side of the bone. Finish by garnishing the platter with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of additional sea salt.

TUSCAN FLANK STEAK

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary, garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set marinade aside.
• Pierce the steak with a fork 20 to 30 times. Place in a shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over steak and flip to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
• Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon minced rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt in a jar. Cover and shake the dressing to combine. Shake again before using.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove steak from marinade; scrape off any chunks of marinade. Discard used marinade. Season steak with salt and black pepper.
• Place steak on the preheated grill and cook until browned on the outside and red on the inside, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil-lemon juice dressing in a small bowl. Use rosemary sprig to baste the steak while it cooks. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a steak should read 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) for rare.
• Remove steak to a platter and allow to rest about 6 minutes before slicing. Cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch-thick slices at an angle against the grain. Drizzle with additional dressing.

TUSCAN STEAK AND SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the 5 tblsps olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
• Heat the 1 tsp olive oil in a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until smoking.
• Meanwhile, season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper.
• Lay the steaks in the pan and cook, without moving, until a well-browned crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Using tongs, flip the steaks.
• Reduce the heat to medium.
• Cook 3 to 4 minutes more for rare or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.
• Divide the arugula evenly among 4 individual plates.
• Cut each steak crosswise into thin strips and arrange the steak over the arugula.
• Drizzle any juices that have collected from the meat over the greens.
• Rewhisk the dressing and drizzle it over the steak and greens.
• Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

TUSCAN STEAK WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Light large chimney starter filled with hardwood charcoal (about 2 1/2 pounds) and burn until covered with layer of fine gray ash. Build two-level fire by stacking most of the coals on one side of grill and arranging remaining coals in single layer on other side. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill with lid, and let grate heat up, about 5 minutes. Use wire brush to scrape grate clean. Grill is ready when thicker layer of coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above cooking grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
• Meanwhile, sprinkle each side of steaks with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook steaks, uncovered, over hotter part of grill until well-browned on each side, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. (If steaks start to flame, move them to cooler side of fire and/or extinguish flames with squirt bottle). Move steaks to cooler side of grill and continue cooking, turning once, to desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes more for rare (120 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 6 to 7 minutes for rare medium-rare (125 degrees), 7 to 8 minutes for medium medium-rare (130 degrees), or 8 to 9 minutes for medium (135 to 140 degrees).
• Transfer steaks to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Following illustrations below, cut strip and tenderloin pieces off bones and slice crosswise about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange slices on platter, drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.