Chef Graziella
Abbacchio a Scottadito
Roman lamb chops grilled over scorching heat, seasoned with nothing but salt, rosemary, and fire. You eat them with your hands, straight from the grill, burning your fingers because you cannot wait.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Tagliata di Manzo con Rucola
Created by
A thick steak, seared hard, rested properly, and sliced over bitter greens. Tuscany proves again that restraint is the highest form of cooking.
Main Dishes
Italian, Tuscan
Quick Meal
Date Night
Weeknight
5 min
Active Time
8 min cook•13 min total
Yield2 servings
Tagliata means 'cut,' and the name tells you everything. This is not a complicated dish. It is a steak, cooked correctly, sliced, and served over peppery greens. The technique is the recipe.
Tuscans understand that good meat needs almost nothing. A proper sear to create crust. Adequate rest so the juices stay inside where they belong. Sharp knife, clean cuts against the grain. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in. No marinades. No compound butters. No pan sauces swimming with cream and mushrooms. Just heat, salt, and the quality of your ingredients laid bare.
The arugula is not a garnish. It is fundamental. The warm meat wilts the leaves slightly, and the peppery bite cuts through the richness of the beef. The Parmigiano adds salt and savory depth. The olive oil ties everything together. Ten minutes from start to finish, and you have produced something that belongs on any table in Florence.
Tagliata emerged from the trattorias of Tuscany in the 1970s and 1980s as a lighter interpretation of the region's famous bistecca alla fiorentina. While the massive T-bone requires a wood-fired grill and serves two or three, tagliata offered the same reverence for quality beef in a quicker, more adaptable form. The dish spread rapidly through Italian restaurants and became synonymous with the modern Tuscan approach: simplicity elevated by excellence of ingredients.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
ribeye or strip steak
Quantity
1 (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 inches thick, at room temperature
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons, plus more for finishing
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
wild arugula
Quantity
4 ounces
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
2-ounce wedge
for shaving
lemon (optional)
Quantity
1/2
flaky sea salt
Quantity
for finishing
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| ribeye or strip steak1 1/4 inches thick, at room temperature | 1 (about 1 pound) |
| extra virgin olive oil | 2 tablespoons, plus more for finishing |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| wild arugula | 4 ounces |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofor shaving | 2-ounce wedge |
| lemon (optional) | 1/2 |
| flaky sea salt | for finishing |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 12-inch cast iron skillet or grill pan
- •Sharp carving knife
- •Vegetable peeler for Parmigiano
- •Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Temper the meat
Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 45 minutes before cooking. Cold meat does not sear properly. The interior stays raw while the exterior burns. Season generously with kosher salt and cracked black pepper on both sides. The salt should be visible.
If you forget to temper the meat, you can proceed, but add one minute to each side of the cooking time. The result will be less even. - 2
Heat the pan
Place a heavy cast iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for a full five minutes. The pan must be screaming hot. Add the olive oil. It should shimmer and smoke slightly within seconds. If it does not, your pan is not ready.
- 3
Sear the steak
Lay the steak away from you into the hot pan. Do not move it. Let it sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until a dark crust forms. Flip once. Cook another 3 minutes for medium-rare, the only acceptable temperature for tagliata. The meat should feel like the flesh at the base of your thumb when you touch your index finger to your thumb.
Use a thermometer if you must: 125°F for medium-rare. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees during resting. Beyond medium-rare, you are wasting good meat. - 4
Rest the meat
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for exactly 5 minutes. This is not optional. The juices must redistribute. If you cut immediately, they will run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat. Do not cover it. Do not touch it. Walk away.
- 5
Prepare the bed
While the meat rests, spread the arugula across a large serving platter or divide between two plates. The arugula should not be dressed. The warm meat and oil will be its only dressing.
- 6
Slice and arrange
Slice the steak against the grain into strips about half an inch thick. The interior should be rosy pink. Arrange the slices over the arugula, overlapping slightly. Pour any juices from the cutting board over the meat. Drizzle generously with your best olive oil. Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of Parmigiano over the top.
- 7
Finish and serve immediately
Scatter flaky sea salt over the meat. A squeeze of lemon, if you like, though many Tuscans would consider this unnecessary. Serve at once, while the meat is still warm and the arugula beneath has just begun to wilt from the heat. This dish does not wait.
Chef Tips
- •The steak must be thick, at least one and a quarter inches. Thin steaks overcook before they develop proper crust. Ask your butcher to cut it fresh.
- •Wild arugula (rucola selvatica) has smaller leaves and more intense peppery flavor than cultivated varieties. Seek it out at farmers markets in summer. The difference is significant.
- •Shave the Parmigiano with a vegetable peeler directly over the dish. Pre-shaved cheese from a package has dried out and lost its character. Use a wedge you cut yourself.
- •Some add aged balsamic vinegar. This is acceptable if the vinegar is true aceto balsamico tradizionale, thick as syrup and sweet as honey. The thin, acidic liquid sold in supermarkets does not belong here or anywhere else.
Advance Preparation
- •Remove the steak from refrigeration 45 minutes to one hour before cooking. This is the only advance preparation that matters.
- •Tagliata cannot be made ahead. The meat must be served warm, just after resting. The arugula must be fresh. This is a dish of the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 275g)
Calories
855 calories
Total Fat
66 g
Saturated Fat
24 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
40 g
Cholesterol
185 mg
Sodium
1225 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
66 g
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