What is Tuscan Beef Tagliata?

Tagliata is one of the most popular ways of cooking beef because it is simple and very tasty.

Tagliata is a boneless piece of grilled beef, served in slices

The name obviously derives from the fact that this steak is served “cut” into slices, so as to admire the double cooking, moreover, in this way, the seasoning flavors well all parts of the meat .

Tagliata is a good choice when in Florence if a Bistecca alla Fiorentina is too much but you like read meat.

The surface of the meat is well cooked while the inside remains substantially raw and succulent. To obtain an optimal result, however, it is necessary to follow some precautions, which consist in :

– not cooking the meat too cold because the heart would take too long to reach the ideal temperature and the outside would be dry and overcooked

-a slight rest after cooking is always a good idea to prevent the meat from losing too much juice once cut

-to cook it, use a cast iron grill, or a cast iron pan with a flat bottom that should be red-hot and sprinkled only with coarse salt, forbidden to use oil!

Obviously the Tagliata can also be done on the barbecue, but its cooking requires greater familiarity.

-the meat to be used for this preparation is high-quality meat in a tender cut and as free as possible of fat and connective tissue, such as sirloin .But the fillet is also perfect, although more expensive.

– the quality of the knife, which must be smooth blade and very well sharpened to obtain clean cuts and to be able to cut even some nerve that may be on the piece of meat.

The seasoning of the Tagliata can vary:

-excellent served in purity on a little’ oil previously heated with a sprig of rosemary, and kept in infusion for at least half an hour in order to absorb the perfume

-In autumn the tagliata is also excellent with a porcini mushroom sauce,

-the classic version with arugula/rockets, which most often is accompanied by tomatoes

How to cook La tagliata:

-Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it rest for an hour,

-Cut the sirloin into “single portion” pieces .

-Heat the grill and pour over the coarse salt, in this way the meat, cooking will “absorb” the necessary salt and will be tasty but not salty.

– Lay the meat and cook for 3 minutes on one side, a good trick to understand if the time has come to turn the meat is to try to turn it, if you detach well, it is ready.

Turn with a spatula or pliers, you will especially have to pay attention not to pierce the meat.

– Cook another 3 minutes on the other side.

Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 1 minute so that it cools slightly. Cut into slices half a cm. ( half inch) thick,or thicker according to taste .season lightly with black pepper

How to store sliced beef

The Tagliata does not preserve, the ideal is to prepare and serve it as soon as it is ready, or at most let it rest in the condiments for no more than an hour. If you have leftovers,keep it in the fridge and the following day skip it in a pan as if they were strips of beef.