Tagliata
Our tasty tagliata recipe has juicy beef fillet seared to perfection with a rich blue cheese sauce on the side. Grilled endives and lemon sit alongside, with toasted pine nuts and chopped rocket scattered over the top. This recipe is a fun and exciting choice when you want to make a lasting impression at dinner.
Ingredients
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Beef fillet
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600 g |
|---|---|
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Fresh rosemary
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30 g |
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Fresh thyme
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15 g |
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Flaked salt
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2 tbsp |
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Chilli flakes
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1 tsp |
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Butter
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25 g |
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Garlic cloves
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2 |
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Cold-pressed olive oil
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2 tbsp |
Blue cheese dip
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Blue cheese
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140 g |
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Creme fraiche
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200 ml |
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Salt
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|
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Black pepper
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To serve
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Red endive
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3 |
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Extra virgin olive oil
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2 tbsp |
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Rocket, coarsely chopped
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110 g |
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Pine nuts, toasted
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70 g |
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Lemon
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1 |
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Flaked salt
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|
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Black pepper
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Pre-heat your grill pan
Pre-heating your grill pan ensures the steak forms a golden crust, locking in all the juices and giving the steak that perfect tender texture. It should give a lovely sizzle sound when the steak hits the warm pan.
Rest the meat properly
After grilling the beef, let it rest on a cutting board for 10–15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making each slice juicy. Cover the steak loosely with aluminium foil while it rests to keep it warm and moist.
Choose the right cooking oil
Use cold-pressed olive oil when cooking your tagliata, since it preserves the full flavour of the olives and adds a rich, fruity note to the steak. If you prefer other oils, you could also use avocado oil for its high smoke point or rapeseed oil, which is mild and neutral. But for that authentic Mediterranean touch, cold-pressed olive oil is the way to go.
Master the herb crust
To prepare the herb crust, coarsely chop fresh rosemary and thyme to release their essential oils. Toss them onto a plate with flaked salt and a pinch of chilli flakes. The salt pulls moisture from the beef, helping the herbs cling to the surface. Roll the fillet through the mix until it is completely coated. This is a great way to season the surface thoroughly and form a full-flavoured crust once seared.
FAQ: Questions about tagliata
Below, we answer frequently asked questions so you know exactly how to serve, slice, and store tagliata.
What is tagliata?
Tagliata means "sliced" in Italian and refers to how the beef is prepared and served. It typically involves a high-quality cut like fillet or sirloin, which is seared quickly over high heat, rested, and then sliced thinly across the grain. It is often served with olive oil, rocket, Parmesan shavings, and sometimes lemon.
What are the best cuts of meat for tagliata?
The best cuts for tagliata are sirloin or fillet. Both are tender and lean, ideal for quick searing and slicing. When cooked, these cuts hold their shape well and deliver a juicy result that suits the traditional tagliata style.
How should tagliata be served?
Tagliata is best served warm, shortly after resting. Lay the sliced beef on the side of grilled endives, then top with chopped rocket and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with a side of blue cheese cream and lemon halves for squeezing over at the table.
How do you slice the meat?
To slice the meat perfectly, cut it thinly across the grain after it has rested. Look for the direction of the muscle fibres running through the beef and cut at a slight angle, perpendicular to those lines. Use a sharp knife and aim for even, thin slices. This technique shortens the muscle fibres, making the meat easier to chew and keeping the texture soft.
Can you store leftover tagliata?
Yes, you can keep leftover tagliata in the fridge for up to 2 days, sealed in an airtight container. Let the meat cool completely before storing it, and keep the blue cheese cream in a separate container. When you are ready to reheat, do it gently, either in a frying pan over low heat with a splash of water or in the oven at 120 °C, loosely covered with foil.
Nutritional values
Nutritional value, per
2482 Kcal
| Fibre | 30.3 gram fibers |
| Protein | 49.1 gram |
| Carbohydrates | 33.6 gram |
| Fat | 242.7 gram |
Try our delicious tagliata with beef
A memorable tagliata starts with beef cooked until deliciously juicy. We quickly sear the meat at high heat, creating a tempting golden crust outside while the inside stays wonderfully pink and tender. The quick sear gives the beef a deep, savoury flavour with a hint of caramelisation, resulting in slices so soft and flavourful that they practically vanish on your tongue.
Tagliata is not the only recipe that embraces juicy meat. Try our ribeye steaks with grilled vegetables, succulent flank steak, or grilled chicken satay skewers and their irresistible peanut glaze.
Flavour from herbs, chilli, garlic, and olive oil
Our tagliata gets its distinctive flavour from the herb crust made with rosemary, thyme, and chilli. Rosemary and thyme go together perfectly, exploring a combination of earthy, pine-like taste with hints of citrus. Along with the subtle warmth of the chilli flakes, the meat receives a herbaceous flavour boost.
Basting the beef with garlic-infused butter as it cooks allows the butter to seep into the meat and create a subtle but noticeable garlic nuance. Finally, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil provides a fruity, slightly peppery finish that mellows the heat from the chilli and the intensity of the herbs and garlic.
With crunchy endives and roasted nuts
Grilled endives serve as the ideal counterpoint to the succulent beef, offering a delicate bitterness, crisp texture, and lightly caramelised edges. Toasted pine nuts contribute mild sweetness and a lovely buttery crunch, with a nutty undertone that accentuates the meat's savoury notes. Joined by rocket salad, they also add a stunning array of colours, which makes this recipe a sight to behold.
Served with a cheese and crème fraiche dip
Our dip combines tangy blue cheese and smooth crème fraiche, creating a thick, velvety consistency and a robust flavour. The salty punch of the blue cheese draws out the caramelised edge of the seared beef and amplifies its deep umami character.
The crème fraiche contributes delicate acidity that softens the intensity of the cheese. Served on the side, the cool sauce offers a refreshing contrast to the warm beef, giving each slice a silky, sharp lift the moment it hits the dip.
Tagliata di Manzo - an Italian classic
Tagliata di Manzo is a Tuscan favourite, often found on menus across trattorias in central Italy. It is beloved for its simplicity, keeping the beef at the centre with only a few careful accompaniments on the side.
We stay close to the spirit of this Italian classic but give it a few new touches. Instead of whole rocket leaves and Parmesan, we use chopped rocket on top, toasted pine nuts for crunch, endives, and a blue cheese dip on the side. It is still quick and focused on the beef but with a few new details on the plate.
Make the recipe your own
If you want to personalise your tagliata, cheese dip is a great place to start. Goat’s cheese or brie are both fantastic choices if you are after something milder. Goat’s cheese still has that tangy edge but with a gentler feel than blue, while brie is even milder, with a buttery texture and a delicate earthiness. Want more body? Replace the crème fraiche with Greek yoghurt, which is thicker and has a more pronounced acidity.
Toppings offer another possibility to play around with the ingredients. Use toasted hazelnuts instead of pine nuts for their sweeter bite, or use walnuts for a firmer crunch and a hint of bitterness. A few shavings of Parmesan keep things classic with that nutty, salty punch.
