Tuscan Steak Recipes

TUSCAN-STYLE GRILLED TUNA STEAKS

Steps:

• Rinse and pat tuna steaks dry. Place zest on top of cutting board. Pile rosemary and parsley leaves on top of zest. Pile garlic and some coarse salt and black pepper or grill seasoning on top of herbs. Finely chop the garlic, herbs, and spices. Drizzle the olive oil over the tuna steaks just enough to coat each side. Rub herb and garlic mixture into fish, coating pieces evenly on each side. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Grill tuna steaks 6 minutes on each side or 4 minutes on each side, if you prefer pink tuna at the center. Cook steaks over: high setting on indoor electric grill, medium high heat on outdoor gas grill or, 6 inches from hot, prepared charcoal.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl or large food storage plastic bag. Coat mushroom caps evenly in marinade.
• Place mushroom caps on the grill cap-side-up and season with grill seasoning or salt and pepper. If you are using an indoor tabletop electric grill, preheat to 400 degrees F or "high" setting. If you are using an outdoor gas grill, preheat to medium high; for a charcoal grill, prepare coals and cook mushrooms 6 inches from hot coals. Mushrooms will cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Cook mushrooms covered or under tin foil tent and turn occasionally.
• Combine tomatoes, rosemary, and smoked mozzarella. Drizzle with oil and toss.
• Fill mushroom caps with tomato mixture and top with sliced mozzarella. The mushrooms will look like small pizzas. Place caps in oven at 425 degrees F until cheese melts or you can close grill lid or replace tin foil tent over mushroom caps to melt cheese, it will take 1 to 3 minutes. Serve as-is or, place stuffed caps on garlic toast or sliced crusty bread to catch the juices.

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 STEAK FLATBREADS

Steps:

• For pesto, place the parsley, basil and garlic in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add the Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, sherry, salt and pepper; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Set aside., Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°). Remove and keep warm. , Brush one side of each flatbread with oil; place oiled side down on grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until heated through., Spread the grilled side of each flatbread with pesto. Cut steak into thin strips; place over pesto. Top with fontina cheese and basil.

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.

GRILLED TUSCAN-STYLE PORTERHOUSE STEAKS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Season steaks with salt and pepper.
• Cook steaks on the preheated grill until they are beginning to firm and are hot and slightly pink in the center, about 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for medium.
• While the steaks are cooking, place garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle some salt over top and pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mash garlic with the back of a sturdy knife into a fine paste. Stir in remaining oil and red pepper flakes. Heat in the microwave until hot, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds.
• Remove steaks from the oven and let sit covered for 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil mixture over each steak and squeeze lemon wedges over top.

TUSCAN MARINATED STEAKS

Steps:

• In a small glass or ceramic bowl, combine all ingredients except steaks. Cover, and refrigerate until needed, up to four days.
• In a wide, shallow glass or ceramic bowl, combine the steaks and marinade. Turn the steaks to coat them well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Wipe excess marinade from steaks and discard. Grill to taste.

TUSCAN PORTERHOUSE STEAK WITH RED WINE-PEPPERCORN JUS

Steps:

• Let steak sit at room temperature 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F.
• Pat steak dry and season both sides with peppercorns and kosher salt. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add rosemary, thyme, and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until herbs and garlic are fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add steak and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°F for medium-rare, about 5 minutes (or 120°F for medium, about 10 minutes).
• Transfer steak with tongs to a small platter, reserving skillet, and let rest 10 minutes.
• While steak rests, pour off oil from skillet, leaving garlic and herbs in skillet. Add wine and boil over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and any meat juices from platter and boil until reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until incorporated, then season with salt and keep warm.
• To carve: Transfer the steak to a cutting board and cut meat off both sides of the bone (you should have two solid pieces of steak). Thinly slice each piece, then rearrange the slices around the bone on a platter. Drizzle with the jus.

TUSCAN MARINATED STEAKS

Steps:

• In a small glass or ceramic bowl, combine all ingredients except steaks. Cover, and refrigerate until needed, up to four days.
• In a wide, shallow glass or ceramic bowl, combine the steaks and marinade. Turn the steaks to coat them well. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Wipe excess marinade from steaks and discard. Grill to taste.

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.