Cote de Boeuf: A Classic French Rib Steak Recipe Food Guide

Cote de boeuf, or a rib prime cut in English, more like prime rib, has been an essential delicacy in French cuisine. Wherever it’s being made—at home or served at a fine dining restaurant—aptly comprehending the specifics of cooking and serving of Côte de boeuf is critical for savouring the dish in its entirety.

What is Cote de Boeuf?

Cote de boeuf is a heavy bone-in rib steak taken from the cow’s upper rib area. This classic cut is famous because it contains a fair amount of fat, thus ensuring that the meat does not dry out once it has been cooked. The marbling of fat throughout the beef gives it a distinct flavour that stands out from other cuts.

Recipe 1: Cote de Boeuf with Chips

This recipe is typical of the Côte de Boeuf and uses crispy chips (pan-fried potatoes) and a green leaf salad with the beef steak. This is suitable for a quick lunch or an engagement dinner on a Saturday evening.

Ingredients

• 1 x single rib of beef (1.2-1.4kg), from the butcher’s counter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4-5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 4 medium floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chips
• 2 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil
• Sea salt
• Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• A pinch of caster sugar
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
• 1⁄2 x 70g bag wild rocket
• 20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Method

1. Rub the beef ribs with olive oil, garlic, thyme, and black pepper. Leave the meat to marinade at room temperature for at least an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Take the peeled and cut potatoes and place them in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes till they are just tender. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pan over low heat to dry and fluff up.
3. Toss the partially cooked parboiled chips into the heated oil/fat and mix to ensure the chips are evenly covered in oil. Roast the chips for thirty minutes at first.
4. The next step is to heat a griddle pan, add the meat, and cook at high heat for 2-3 minutes until well browned. When the steak is finished, move it to a shallow roasting pan. Then cook with the chips and roast for 17 to 22 minutes.
5. The beef is out of the oven; now temper and cool it by covering it with aluminium foil. All this time, the steak should have rested for about 10 minutes without covering it while the chips continued exposing to high temperature to achieve a perfect golden brown finish.
6. Combine lemon juice, mustard, caster sugar, and extra-virgin olive oil, whisking until homogenous. Toss the Little Gem lettuce and wild rocket with the dressing, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe 2: Cote de Boeuf with Braised Shallots and Red Wine Sauce

The nice thing about this recipe is that it lifts the côte de boeuf up a notch with the addition of some braised shallot and a hearty red wine sauce. It’s an impressively decent recipe for a dinner party, especially.

Ingredients

• Braised Shallots

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • A few thyme sprigs
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 300ml red wine
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 15 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 25g butter

• Cote de Boeuf

  • 1 x 2.5 kg beef rib with 3 bones, trimmed
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • A few thyme sprigs

• Red Wine Sauce

  • 450ml red wine
  • 300ml port
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 40g butter

Method

1. The meat should be removed from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before the cooking begins to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cooking oil is rubbed over the beef, followed by liberal amounts of salt and pepper seasoning.
2. Place the beef on a rack in a roasting tin and cook for 10-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes per 500g for rare, 15-18 minutes for medium, and 20 minutes for well-done. Once cooked, let the beef rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
3. Pour in vegetable oil and butter in the frying pan, and then add shallots and thyme. Add salt and cook at medium flame for five minutes or until the shallots turn golden brown. Add sugar and cook the shallots for a further ten minutes. Pour in red wine and allow to reduce by two-thirds. Pour in chicken stock and allow to reduce again by another two-thirds.
4. In another pan, mix wine, port, and thyme. Reduce for about 15-20 minutes until only a third of the liquid remains. Pour in the chicken stock and shallots liquid. Reduce the mixture for another 20-25 minutes and strain the sauce. Incorporate the butter into the sauce.

Recipe 3: Cote de Boeuf with Coffee Rub

Those looking may try this version since a coffee rub is applied to it, making it quite interesting in terms of flavours.

Ingredients

• 1 côte de boeuf (approx. 600g with bone)
• 1 tsp. grapeseed oil
• 10g black cardamom pods
• 10g black peppercorns
• 5g star anise
• 10g celery salt
• Pinch smoked garlic powder
• 1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans

Method

1. Black cardamom, black peppercorn, and star anise are placed in a dry heated pan and toasted till aromatic. These spices must be ground only after they have cooled off using a spice grinder. Mix with celery salt, garlic powder, and coffee.
2. A thin layer of grapeseed oil is applied to the high-bone rib eye, i.e., cote de boeuf, and then followed by the coffee rub.
3. Heat a charcoal fire until all the coals are white and glowing. Place the beef on the grid and turn it every 20 seconds until an internal temperature of 48 degrees Celsius is attained, which takes about 8 minutes.
4. Let the meat rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Conclusion

Cote de boeuf is a cut of beef that has a lot of flavour and tenderness and therefore is loved by steak lovers all around the world. The most important is fresh meat and the proper cooking temperature and time. This is an extremely premium cut of beef that will surely be expensive to buy, but surely will delight the customer with its moisture, rich taste, and the way it is served.