The club steak must be at least one and a half inches thick and have its fillet. Put it onto a barbecue with live coals but no flame.

Grill for 6/7 minutes then turn the steak and cook the other side for the same amount of time, then turn it again, season with salt and serve.

Do not add oil or lemon juice.

Food History

It is not known when cows were first breed for meat, however it was certainly after other smaller animals like sheep and goats, probably because of their size and agression level. Herodotus wrote in his chronicles that rich Persians ate whole-roast oxen regularly, but in Italy the animals were used for work purposes until recently. In ancient Rome, for example, oxen were considered so important for working the fields that in the Twelve Tables, the most important document of Roman law, the punishment for killing an ox, which was neither too sick nor too old to work, was death. Bovines were not used for meat until the late Middle Ages, although meat remained a luxury for wealthy nobles.
The most famous legend about steak and the origin of the name of the dish comes from the beginning of the 16th century. The term bistecca was created in Florence on Saint Lorenzo’s day. Traditionally, the city celebrates the day by lighting large torches and eating large quantities of veal served free along the streets. Two English ambassadors happened to be in Florence during the occasion and began dancing, singing and eating with the locals. Apparently they shouted “beef steak, beef steak”, asking for more meat. According the legend, some Florentines had made friends with the Englishmen and began imitating them when they heard their shouts, responding “bistecca, bistecca” – giving birth to the name of this famous cut of meat.

Other suggested recipes

• Beef Chops with Onion
• Umbrian Style Veal Ribs
• Beef fillet with Balsamic vinegar