During la vendange, the grape-harvesting season that takes over all of Burgundy in the fall, everyone looks forward to the annual end-of-harvest celebrations. While we aren’t winemakers, late fall also signifies the end of the Atelier’s cooking class season, so we’re often ready for a celebratory meal right beside them. For dinner, we often choose a fat slice of bone-in côte de bœuf, a classic beef cut for festivities, first frenching the bone for a pretty presentation (which is gorgeous but not necessary), searing the steak, then roasting it in the oven or by the fire to a beautiful rosy rare.
During our cooking classes at The Cook’s Atelier, we often opt for a larger roast with a fancier presentation – the côte de bœuf recipe in our first cookbook has a gorgeous béarnaise sauce you could add here, if you want. But at home we always make a more family-size roast and put together a simple Pan Sauce while the meat rests, using the drippings from the bottom of the pan (and always serving good bread for mopping). For a party, you can double the recipe, using two pans. Call a good butcher in advance to ask for this particular cut of beef, which is significantly thicker than a traditional rib eye (and is thus cooked quite differently).
SERVES 4 TO 6
Ingredients
1.4 to 1.6kg côte de bœuf (a meaty 1-rib beef rib eye roast)
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
Ad
1 head garlic, halved across the equator
Pan Sauce (recipe below), made using red wine and homemade beef stock, homemade preferred
Method
Remove the beef from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before roasting, a minimum of 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
Pat the beef dry and tie the beef to secure the meat for even roasting. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy ovenproof pan large enough to hold the meat over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the beef and sear, turning, until browned and caramelized on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes total. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and garlic and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reaches 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size. Let the beef rest on a wooden cutting board for at least 15 minutes before carving. (The internal temperature of the tenderloin will rise to 130°F / 54°C upon standing.)
Make the pan sauce as directed, adding the herbs and shallot called for in the sauce recipe to the pan with the existing herbs and garlic.
To carve, run a sharp knife along the concave side of the bone to separate the meat from the bone. Slice the meat into strips across the grain and transfer both the meat and the bone to a serving platter. Garnish the steak with fleur de sel and serve with the pan sauce.
Pan sauce
Ingredients
MAKES ABOUT 240ML
1 shallot, finely minced
1 fresh bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
120ml red wine, such as Burgundy Pinot Noir, or dry white wine, such as Burgundy Chardonnay
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or beef stock, homemade preferred
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Start with a skillet or roasting pan that’s just been emptied of its protein, such as chicken, lamb, beef, or pork, keeping any herbs, shallots, and the other ingredients used for cooking. Pour off any excess fat (there isn’t always a lot), leaving about 1 tablespoon and all the crusty bits. Over medium heat, add the shallot, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the aromatics begin to soften and become fragrant.
Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to begin to loosen the browned bits and pieces that have adhered to the bottom of the pan, cooking and loosening for about 1 minute. (This is called deglazing a pan.) Add the stock and continue scraping to loosen the nubbins and cooking to evaporate the alcohol, about 2 minutes more.
Strain the sauce into a smaller saucepan and discard the aromatics. Return the pan to medium heat and continue to reduce to concentrate the sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. The more the sauce reduces, the thicker it will be. When you’re happy with the consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Off the heat, add the knob of butter and gently swirl to incorporate. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve warm, alongside the meat.
Recipe from French at Heart by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini (Abrams)
