Bavette is trendy and above all, delicious! How do you make a perfect bavette on your BBQ? KLAUWE brings you Bavette, Bistecca alla Fiorentina. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. Impress Your Friends! How do we do it? Read on at Klauwe van de Kok!

Not too long ago, we talked a lot about ‘forgotten vegetables’ in the Netherlands. Nowadays, we also see more and more meat cuts that have unjustly fallen into oblivion making a comeback. Bavette is definitely one of them!

If there’s one cut of beef on the rise, it’s the bavette. This piece comes from the ‘flank’ (a working muscle on the underside of the cow’s belly) and is also known as the flank steak. Because it’s a working muscle, it has a coarser texture but packs a lot of flavor. With so much inherent taste, you don’t need to do much to it. We’re making Bavette, Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the famous Florentine steak!

Ingredients

General:

  • A whole bavette from your trusted butcher
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking time: depends on the temperature, 8 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting time

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole bavette
  • Sea salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

Preparations:

Make sure to buy your bavette from a reputable butcher. This enhances the flavor.

When you have the bavette in your kitchen, it’s essential to bring it to room temperature before grilling. Putting it straight from the fridge onto the grill will shock the meat, which won’t do your dish any favors.

Once your bavette is at room temperature and grilling time approaches, rub it on both sides with sea salt and pepper. We love a good bite, so don’t skimp on the salt and pepper.

Serving tip:

Instead of salt and pepper, rub the bavette with homemade herb oil. It’s not how it’s done in Italy, but it’s oh so delicious. Want to know which herb oil? Read our article on homemade herb oil.

What to do with your KLAUWE:

Fire up your KLAUWE and set the temperature to around 150 degrees Celsius (a bit higher is fine too). When lighting your KLAUWE, you need more oxygen, so keep the rear air vent open until the fire catches, then close it. Keep the front air vent fully open. If the fire doesn’t catch well, you can open the rear air vent briefly. Ultimately, the rear air vent should be closed, and the front air vent will be used to regulate the temperature. The air vent in the lid should be half open. (Of course, this depends on how the temperature behaves. More air means more fire and higher temperature, and vice versa; it’s a matter of playing with oxygen.)

We’re grilling without a water ring and water pan. Place the coal basket at level 3 (from the top) and the grill rack at level 2 (from the top). Put the lid on and bring the temperature to around 150 degrees Celsius. When the flames have subsided, place the grill rack in position to preheat it. The bavette comes later.

And then, the moment of truth, Bistecca alla Fiorentina:

When the coals are glowing well and a haze of low flames hangs over them, it’s time for the real grilling. Place your bavette on the grill and close the lid of your KLAUWE. Keep an eye on the time, as the bavette only needs a few minutes per side. The exact time depends on the temperature of your KLAUWE, the thickness of your bavette, and how you prefer it cooked. Do you want your bavette rare or medium?

A meat thermometer is highly recommended here.

For Medium Rare: Strong pink with a slight gray-brown edge, the desired internal temperature is 55 degrees Celsius. For Medium: Light pink with a browner edge, the desired internal temperature is 60 degrees Celsius.

Don’t have a meat thermometer? Roughly speaking, aim for 3 to 4 minutes per side. (It’s better to undercook than overcook. If it’s not done enough, you can always grill it a bit longer, but you can’t undo overcooking.)

Done? Almost, here's the secret:

When you’re done grilling, an important step follows: let your bavette rest! Simply remove it from the grill and wrap it in aluminum foil (not too tightly). Set the wrapped bavette aside and wait 15 minutes. The aluminum foil keeps the meat warm, and resting improves the meat’s texture and lets it finish cooking. (Want to know why resting meat is important? Read our article on resting meat.)

Only AFTER these 15 minutes should you start slicing your bavette.

Serving your bavette:

Slice your bavette into thin strips and serve your Florentine “steak” in desired portions on plates. If you’re a fan of herb butter, be our guest, but it’s also delicious with just a bit of extra salt and pepper.

Congratulations! You’ve now made Bavette, Bistecca alla Fiorentina!

Bon appétit and don’t forget: Eat with your KLAUWE and Impress Your Friends!