First up is a fine Strip steak. (aka. new york strip) I read or heard some time ago that a Tuscan style of grilling such a steak included grilling it, slicing thin, topping with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt and a nice squeeze of lemon.Whether this is authentic or not I am not sure. (If not Italians should jump on it and claim it for it is brilliantly good) I modified this by marinating the Steak in Olive oil, Salt (I found a nice Sicilian Sea Salt at the market), Black Pepper and fresh Rosemary. A fine cut of meat should not be drowned in heavy marinades. This simple marinade respects the meat and enhances it rather then overwhelm and cover.
Once ready I got the veggies prepped. A couple good tomatoes, a bunch of scallions and a few chiles. I also had a nice Pugliese loaf. I sliced this on the bias. Brushed with oil and grilled. Once it was finished I moved the bread to the warming rack and topped with a slice of Lardo. This was my first time trying Lardo and I am in love.
All that remains is for the steak to be perfectly grilled. So far its looking righteous.
Loving the grill marks.
The completed plate. Finished the steak with a squeeze of grilled lemon and fantastic sea salt.
The tomatoes became part of a simple salad with fresh basil and chunks of a fresh mozzarella that had been made hours prior at Mazzaros. Incredible cheese!!!!!!!! A nice drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some more sea salt.
Top with the other grilled veggies and bread. Dinner is served.
