Beef tagliata

Name: Beef tagliata
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Entrecôte (sirloin) 28 oz; Arugula ¾ cup; Cherry tomatoes ¾ cup; Salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serving: 4
Cost: High
Note + remove the meat from the refrigerator 1 hour earlier

Listen to the recipe

PRESENTATION

Tagliata means "sliced" — and the cut is the whole point. The beef is seared over high heat until charred on the outside and deep pink at the center, then rested briefly and sliced against the grain into thick pieces that stay juicy rather than losing their heat and moisture on the plate. The arugula underneath wilts slightly where it meets the warm meat; the balsamic drizzle and Parmigiano shavings on top do the rest. It's a dish that looks more considered than the technique requires.

To cook beef tagliata properly, three details matter. The cut is sirloin or entrecôte — the section between the ribs, with enough marbling to stay tender through the high heat without needing long cooking. Take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before cooking: a cold center means uneven searing and a result that's raw rather than rare. Let it rest after the grill, covered loosely with foil, before slicing — two minutes is enough for the juices to redistribute through the meat. These three details — room temperature meat, high heat, proper rest — are what separate a good tagliata from a steak that happens to be sliced.

How to prepare Beef tagliata

To prepare sliced beef tagliata with arugula and cherry tomatoes, make sure to take the piece of entrecôte out of the fridge at least one hour before cooking, as the meat must not be cooked cold. Wash and dry the arugula well. Then wash and cut the tomatoes in half 1. Move on to the meat: remove the fat (if present) from the surface 2, then divide the piece of meat into slices about 1 ½” (4 cm) thick 3.

Heat the grill and let it warm up nice and hot. When the grill is hot, lay a piece (or maximum two) of meat 4, then reduce the heat, to medium-high and cook for about 3 minutes on that side. Then you can turn the meat with tongs (do not use a fork, so as not to pierce it and let the juices come out) and cook for another 3-4 minutes 5. To ensure that the cooking is rare, you can use a kitchen thermometer 6: when the core temperature is around 125-129° F (52-54° C), the meat is ready.

Take it off the grill and leave it on the cutting board for a minute to let it rest and retain its juices 7 (if you have to leave it longer, cover it with aluminum foil). Then cut crosswise to obtain several slices with a sharp non-serrated knife 8. Arrange a bed of arugula on a serving plate, the beef tagliata, and some tomatoes 9. A drizzle of oil, flakes of salt (or coarse salt) and freshly ground pepper. and your sliced beef tagliata with arugula and cherry tomatoes is ready to be served!

Storage

Serve immediately. Tagliata doesn't hold — the meat continues to cook from residual heat and the arugula wilts completely once dressed. This is a dish that goes from grill to table.

Tips

Sirloin and entrecôte are both correct cuts; entrecôte has slightly more fat and a richer flavor. Don't pierce the meat with a fork while it's cooking — use tongs to turn it and keep the juices inside. A kitchen thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness: 125–129°F (52–54°C) at the core is rare, which is where this dish should be. Salt after searing, not before, to avoid drawing moisture out of the surface before the crust forms.

Interesting Fact

The tagliata is sometimes called tagliata alla Robespierre — a name that circulates in Italian trattorias, particularly in the north, with the story that Maximilien de Robespierre, the French revolutionary guillotined in 1794, was particularly fond of the dish. The darker version of the legend says the herbs and aromatics used in the preparation were placed in the basket alongside his severed head as a grim commentary. Neither story has a verified historical source — the association between Robespierre and the dish appears to have emerged in Italian restaurant culture sometime in the 1980s and 1990s, and stuck. Whether or not it's true, it's the kind of story that travels well.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.