Think of figs, arranged on a pretty plate and drizzled with honey. Or perfect peaches macerated in white wine and strewn with lavender. Or fresh-picked, fat asparagus, peeled, steamed, doused with fruity olive oil and topped with finely shaved shards of Parmesan Cheese. This is heady stuff. Food for kings. At its core, Italian food only asks for simple ingredients at the peak of perfection served without fuss. That’s what makes this recipe work so well. With only five ingredients, you can pretend you are in Tuscany: a great cut of steak, fresh arugula from the farmers market, good olive oil, lemons and big flakes of Parmesan Cheese. In Tuscany you would be served a giant T-bone steak, which comes from the region’s Chianina breed of cattle, prized for their tenderness and flavor. For this recipe, we use sirloin strip steak, but rib-eye, tenderloin, T-bone or porterhouse cuts would do nicely as well. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to Italy this summer?! If a trip isn’t in the cards, at least we can still listen to Puccini as we go about making this blissfully simple assembly of steak and arugula sprinkled with shaved Parmesan Cheese.
5 ounces (about 6 cups arugula) baby arugula
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese
For the steak
Vegetable oil (for the grill)
2 (1 1/2-inch thick) sirloin steaks (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 lemons, cut into wedges (for serving)
Olive oil (for serving)
For gas grills, heat one burner to high and one to low (225°F). Fold a small piece of paper towel to make a 2-inch square, and pour a few tablespoons of oil into a shallow bowl. With tongs, dip the square into the oil, and brush the grates. If the steaks aren’t quite cooked to your desired doneness at this point, move them to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking. Cook to an internal temperature of 135°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium, or 150°F for well done. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
