Marinades and Seasoning

The Florentines believe that their beloved Val di Chiana beef steak needs absolutely nothing to enhance it except a vine wood fire: no salt, no pepper and no marinades. This is obsessively purist of them, a little bit of food snobbery well in line with their character. All meat, whatever quality, benefits from really quite copious seasoning with salt and pepper before grilling, the combination of wood flavours, seasoning and charring meat juices producing the wonderful exterior crust of properly barbecued food. I also prefer to brush meat with a flavoured oil before and, if necessary, during cooking.