Cote de Boeuf Recipe – there is something almost primal about a large slab of perfectly cooked cote de boeuf.
Cote de Boeuf should be charred on the outside, molten pink in the center and seasoned heavily, it begs to be devoured.
Try adding a dollop of chimichurri or horseradish gremolata on the side for the perfect accompaniment.
Cote de Boeuf is all about big food, big flavours and big portions.
Cote de Boeuf is basically a rib steak with the bone in, but it sounds so much better when you say it in French; go on, say Cote de Boeuf with a French accent. Sounds good right?
When you have such a beautiful cut of meat like this it’s sacrilege to slather over a sauce; this only needs some salt and pepper (and maybe a little oregano) for it to set your tastebuds wriggling in gastronomic ecstasy.
The irony of a good steak is it’s so simple it can be incredibly difficult to get right.
The thing is, cooking is all about the variables.
Temperature of your grill/pan/bbq, thickness of the steak, ambient temperature.. the list goes on. Which is why if you are investing in a decent chunk of beef like this it may be worth picking up an instant read thermometer as well.
Check out this Peruvian BBQ pork chop!
Sure… I can say sear the beef then pop into the oven for 10 minutes for rare, but I don’t know how thick your 800g steak is.
I don’t know whether your oven has hot spots, or if you got distracted and left it cooking on the BBQ or in the pan for slightly longer than you should have. So, buy a thermometer or wing it at your peril!
Q: How do you cook the perfect Cote de Boeuf?
A: Buy a digital food thermometer.
You can fry Cote de Boeuf, grill it, griddle it but my favourite is cooked on the BBQ.
The flavour of meat cooking over hot ashen coals is about as good as it gets for me. But don’t fear, if you’re cooking this in winter and can’t be bothered to stand outside in the rain – cooking it inside still delivers incredible results.
In fact, that is exactly what we did this year at Christmas. For a decadent buffet, I decided to cook a hefty rib of beef (translates in French to cote de boeuf!). Let it rest and then thinly sliced it for everyone to help themselves. And no, I didn’t stand outside in the bloody rain and freezing cold – I cooked it in my Christmas jumper in the comfort of my kitchen 🙂
Love BBQs? Me too!
I love a blue steak, something like fillet is perfect, but with a slightly fatter cut like the rib it needs a little extra time to help all that marbling melt. I usually go with rare so it is still very pink but has just had that fraction longer cooking to help render some of the fat.
Before I give the recipe below here is a quick temperature guide for steaks (and it is a guide). But remember – once you take your steak off the heat it will continue to cook for a little longer.
Internal Temperature Guide for Cote de Boeuf
50c – rare
56c – medium/rare – *my preferred temperature*
62c – medium
67c – medium/well
70c – well done
NOTE – once you remove your meat from the heat (oven or pan) it will continue to cook, usually increasing in temperature by 3-5 degrees.
Cote de Boeuf Recipe
Ingredients:
(Serves 2-4)
800g Cote de Boeuf
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Method:
If you’ve stored the meat in the fridge bring it out a couple of hours to get up to room temperature, then…
- Lightly oil your meat and season heavily
- Whether you are cooking inside or out, when your pan or coals are scorching hot place the meat on the heat to sear the outside and create a nice dark crust – about 5 minutes each side.
- Once charred place your beef into a preheated oven at 180cFAN for about 10 minutes for rare*.
- Once your cote de boeuf is cooked, remove from heat and rest for 15 minutes on a warm plate before slicing and serving.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes. I know, I’ve just repeated this, but it deserves repeating. Without resting your beef will be tough, your morale shot and your friends will slowly leave the table and probably never speak to you again. So let it rest.
Notes:
Temperature*: use a digital instant read thermometer; it’s the only way to ensure you get it right. See the temperature chart above for doness. Best to remove your meat from the heat about 3 degree below your target temperature.
BBQ: if cooking outside on the BBQ, once the meat is charred, finish the meat with ambient heat – i.e. using indirect heat. Move the meat so it is not directly above the coals and close the lid. If you don’t have a lid, scatter the coals to reduce the heat and let cook for another 15 minutes turning a few times.
Goes best with horseradish gremolata, rosemary roasted new potatoes and a red wine you can chew!
