Recipe: Garlic-Roasted Côte de Bœuf

Garlic and butter enhance the natural mineral flavor of aged beef. The garnishes add different elements of flavor, depending on which you choose. Boldly flavored red wine gravy blends the flavor of herbs with the garlic to make a well-balanced, earthy combination. The salad cuts through the richness of the meat. Both the cabbage with bacon and the cauliflower gratin match that richness and play it up a little.

The Game Plan

A bone-in, beef rib eye is seasoned with salt, roasted on top of the stove with garlic and butter, and let to rest before slicing. It is served with some of the cooking butter or a red wine pan reduction. Garnishes are optional, but suggestions include a light green salad, cabbage sautéed in butter and tossed with bacon, or a mascarpone cauliflower gratin.

Method

For the Côte de Bœuf

Generously season the rib eye with salt on both sides. Leave it out of the refrigerator for an hour to take the chill off before cooking. Pat the meat dry with paper towel. Place a cast iron pan that is large enough to hold the beef flat over high heat. Heat the oil and sear the meat for about 5 minutes on each side. Don’t move the meat once it is in the pan except to turn it over. Add half of the butter to the pan and start to baste the meat with the butter and the pan juices to create a nice brown crust all around the beef. When the meat is about halfway done, after another five minutes or so, add the garlic and the remaining butter, and turn the heat down to medium. Flip the meat on the other side and continue cooking for another 5 minutes for medium rare, or another 10 minutes for medium, basting all the while. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the rib eye should read 120°F (50ºC) for medium rare and up to 130°F (55ºC) for medium.

Turn off the heat and leave the meat to rest in the pan for another 5 minutes, while you continue to baste it with butter. Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a wire rack set over a plate to collect any juices that run off. Let rest for another 15 minutes. Put the meat back in the pan and reheat over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Slice the meat off the bone into ½-inch thick (1.5 cm) slices. Arrange the slices on the serving platter and spoon over some of the juices from the pan or the red wine gravy from below.

For Red Wine Pan Gravy (optional)

Crack the peppercorns by placing them on a cutting board and pressing them with the flat side of a chef’s knife and the palm of your hand. When you remove the beef from the pan, turn the heat to medium and add the black peppercorns to the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cooking juices and let cook for 30 seconds, stirring the whole time to make a roux. Pour in the red wine and add the thyme and bay leaf, as well as any juices that have accumulated as the steak rested.  Reduce by half or more, until it attains the consistency you prefer. Strain into a small saucepan and keep warm.

For Boston Lettuce Salad (optional)

Cut the bottom of the stem of the lettuce to separate the leaves from the heart. Split the largest leaves along the stem. Wash the lettuce in a large mixing bowl or basin filled with water. Lift out of the water to drain, and spin dry. Dress the lettuce with chopped chives, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

For Sautéed Green Cabbage with Bacon (optional)

In a medium sauté pan, heat the canola oil over low heat and pan fry the bacon until brown and crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes. Place the bacon over a paper towel and let it cool. Chop finely. Quarter the cabbage. Remove the core. Slice the leaves finely using a chef’s knife.

In a clean sauté pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the cabbage. Season with salt and cover with a lid. Let the cabbage cook for 10 minutes, stirring with a spatula from time to time. Add the bacon and season with freshly ground white pepper.

Chef’s Notes

Meat that has been left to temper at room temperature before cooking will cook more evenly than cold meat. It takes less time for the heat to penetrate to the center of the muscle, so you stand less of a chance of overcooking the edges of the roast. Once cooking, the internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise as much as 5 to 10 degrees. Be sure to remove it from the flame before it is totally cooked to your liking, or the finished meat will be overdone.

Recipe and photo from Chef Laurent Gras's first digital cookbook Laurent Gras: My Provence ($9.99, Alta Edition)