Tuscan T-Bone with Fresh Tomato Relish

When you order a bistecca alla fiorentina in Italy, the kitchen sends out a giant T-bone for your inspection before the cooking begins, to get your assent to the quality and size of the cut. The chef seasons the meat simply but amply, grills it over hot coals, tops it with fine olive oil, and often serves the steak on a bed of peppery arugula right out of the garden. In our version of the vibrant T-bone, we add a tomato-and-mozzarella relish to round out the Florentine feast.

 

SERVES 4 OR MORE

 

TOMATO RELISH

2	cups halved tiny tomatoes, such as yellow and red pear tomatoes, Sweet 100s, or cherry tomatoes
6	ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into tiny cubes
3	tablespoons of a premier extra-virgin olive oil
1	tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½	teaspoon kosher salt or other coarse salt, or more to taste
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil
4	1- to ¼-pound T-bone steaks, 1 to 1¼ inches thick, at least choice grade
	Kosher salt or other coarse salt
	Fresh-ground black pepper
4 to 6	cups arugula
	Premier extra-virgin olive oil
	Lemon wedges

Up to several hours before you plan to grill the steaks, prepare the tomato relish. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, oil, vinegar, and salt, and cover and refrigerate the mixture. Reserve the basil for mixing into the relish later.

Generously sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and let them sit covered at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.

Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).

Stir the basil into the relish and let it sit at room temperature.

When grilling T-bones, it's important to keep the smaller, more tender section of the steak angled away from the hottest part of the fire. Grill the steaks uncovered over high heat for 2½ to 3 minutes per side. Move the steaks to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for 2½ to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness. The steaks should be turned a minimum of three times, more often if juice begins to form on the surface. If grilling covered, sear both sides of the meat first on high heat uncovered for 2½ to 3 minutes; finish cooking with the cover on over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the steaks once midway.

Transfer the steaks to plates, with the arugula under, over, or on the side, as you wish. Immediately drizzle enough oil over the top of each steak to make it glisten, with little rivers of oil barely pooling on the sides. Accompany with lemons for squeezing over the meat, and sides of the tomato relish, served with a slotted spoon.

 

TECHNIQUE TIP: Tuscans grill their bisteccas over real wood embers, flavoring the meat with a subtle scent of smoke. Partially inspired by the Italian example, a number of American chefs have taken up the technique. Alice Waters, among others, led the way at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, saying she always prefers wood rather than charcoal for a fire when she has really good meat.

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Making the Grade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspects all meat sold in the country for safety, a mandatory program financed by taxpayers, and also grades the quality of meat on the request of packers, a voluntary program whose cost gets passed along to consumers. The inspectors grade beef on its anticipated flavor, juiciness, and tenderness, looking in particular at the marbling, or internal distribution of fat. In theory at least and usually in practice, well-marbled steaks taste richer and more complex than leaner ones, and they stay more juicy and tender during cooking.

Only 2 to 3 percent of graded beef ranks as "prime," the top rung of quality, while almost 70 percent falls into the next level of "choice." As meat master Merle Ellis points out in The Great American Meat Book (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), "When most beef is Choice, what choice do you have?" Our answer is choosing where we shop. Savvy, experienced butchers or meat cutters may be able to get you prime steaks on occasion—though most of the best go to restaurants—and they can always guide you toward the most desirable and value-conscious cuts of choice or select meat depending on what you're cooking. As you demonstrate your own seriousness on the subject, you'll find that local pros will help you identify moderately priced choice steaks that rival or even top expensive prime options.

If you don't have that kind of expertise in your neighborhood, consider shopping by mail. Prime Access (800-314-2875) distinguishes itself by shipping dry-aged prime steaks fresh rather than frozen. Balducci's (800-225-3822) dry ages its steaks a little longer than most purveyors, intensifying the beefy flavor. Omaha Steaks International (800-228-9055) provides solid service and value, selecting high-quality choice steaks and wet aging them for mellow taste and tenderness. Check out the company's "private reserve" line, handpicked for superior quality from a vast inventory.

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