Firing up the barbie. I can’t think of anything more quintessentially Australian. A great, laid back Aussie summer tradition. I love a good steak on the barbie. Thick. Juicy. Tender. Perfectly charred. The easiest way to achieve this? The Tuscan way. Here is my take on this Italian classic. Cooked on the barbie this Australia Day Long weekend. A celebration of our truly multicultural society.

Take one behemoth of a T-bone steak. Grass fed. Dry aged. Weighing in at a hefty one and a half kilograms. Impressive to behold. Be sure to select your meat carefully. A friendly chat with a good, local butcher always helps to secure a great cut of meat.

Bring your meat to room temperature before cooking . Throwing a cold steak on the barbecue will always result in tough meat. No doubt about it. Simply put the fibres will seize and contract as they hit the high heat of the grill. Minimise the contraction by bringing the steak to room temperature. A T-bone steak this size will require a good 2-3 hours out of the refrigerator before grilling.

Once the steak has been grilled to perfection you’re not done. Let the steak rest before slicing or eating. This gives the fibres time to relax and allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. The result? A tender, juicy piece of steak. This really is the most important step. I let my T-bone steak rest for a good 15 minutes after it comes off the BBQ plate.

Just enough time to get organized and prepare the salad. This time I served our steak with a roasted beetroot salad. Often I just prepare a simple fennel and rocket salad. Or even more simply, dress the steak with rocket, balsamic and lemon wedges. How easy is that? A perfectly cooked steak with loads of wow factor with very little effort. On this occasion grilled by my teenage son. Try it. You’ll see.

Barbecued T-Bone Steak. The Tuscan Way.

Serves 6

1 T-Bone steak, dry aged, grass-fed, at least 7 cm ( 3 fingers) thick, weighing about 1.5 kg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons sea salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons pure olive oil

REMOVE T-bone steak from the refrigerator 2-3 hours before cooking.
PREHEAT BBQ to high.
IN A small bowl, mix together the rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper until well blended. PAT the steak dry and coat the entire steak with the herb mix. Brush gently with the pure olive oil.
PLACE T-Bone steak on a smoking hot grill plate and cook until well charred, about 8 minutes on first side, and 6 minutes on the second side. Because this steak is so thick, use tongs to rotate meat, lightly searing edges to render any fat as you go.
CAREFULLY place the steak vertically on the grill, so it is resting on the flat part of the T-bone. Continue to cook, allowing the heat to transmit through the bone to the meat, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
TRANSFER to a plate. Let stand for 15 minutes.
LIGHTLY season the steak with coarse salt.
SLICE eye and strip meat away from the bone, and then crosswise into thin slices. Serve immediately with a simple salad, putting a little of both types of meat (eye and strip) on each plate.