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Côte de Bœuf au Poivre

Côte de Bœuf au Poivre on rimmed plate placed on wood surface
Photograph by Brittany Conerly
  • Total Time

    2 hours

This côte de bœuf recipe comes from MaMou, a modern brasserie in New Orleans and one of ourBest New Restaurants of 2023, where executive chef Thomas Branighan reimaginesclassic French dishesusing the Creole influences picked up throughout his Southern Louisiana upbringing. This hearty bone-in ribeye steak recipe is one of the restaurant’s most showstopping main courses, served with a quick pan sauce punctuated with a symphony of peppercorns and the subtle kick of sweet pepper jelly.

Using thereverse-searing technique—always a clever move for large cuts of beef—Branighan slow-roasts the steak until its core temperature reaches his desired doneness, then sears it quickly on the stovetop over high heat to develop a crust. This controlled method allows for a more precise cook time, lessening the risk of under- or over-cooking the rib of beef and ensuring a deeply caramelized crust. (It also means you don’t have to worry about leaving a piece of meat out at room temperature hours before you’re ready to cook.)

The creamy sauce is fortified with apple brandy and grounded by the intense savoriness of the restaurant’s housemade demi-glace. In place of the latter ingredient, we used condensed beef stock (a.k.a.Better Than Bouillon), a home cook-friendly shortcut that mimics Branighan’s prized demi. Our version is seasoned with three types of peppercorns (green, pink, and white), each adding its own unique character.White peppercornsare a stand-in for the Balinese variety, prized for its piquant flavor with notes of cinnamon and cardamom, used at MaMou. If you care to source Balinese peppercorns—sometimes calledlong pepper—replace the white pepper with 1 Tbsp. finely ground Balinese pepper.

Branighan serves his perfect côte de bœuf with a side dish of exceedingly silky pommes puree; a dairy-rich canvas that lets the peppery sauce shine. At home,classic mashed potatoeswould be equally welcomed.

Note: If you can’t find a bone-in ribeye steak you can use a boneless prime rib steak in its place. Start checking the steak after 20 minutes in the oven as a boneless steak will cook faster.

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What you’ll need

Ingredients

2–4 servings

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground green pepper
1 Tbsp. coarsely ground pink pepper
1½ tsp. coarsely ground white pepper
1 1½"–2"-thick bone-in rib-eye steak (about 1¾ lb.)
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. beef bouillon paste (preferably Better Than Bouillon)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
2 sprigs thyme, divided
½ cup (1 stick) plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1茶匙。英语芥末粉(such as Colman’s)
⅓ cup Calvados or other apple brandy
⅓ cup heavy cream
1茶匙。sweet red pepper jelly
  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 200°. Mix2 Tbsp. coarsely ground green pepper,1 Tbsp. coarsely ground pink pepper, and1½ tsp. coarsely ground white pepperin a small bowl to combine; set aside 1 Tbsp. pepper mixture for sauce.

    Step 2

    Patone 1½"–2"-thick bone-in rib-eye steak (about 1¾ lb.)dry with paper towels and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Season generously on both sides withkosher salt, then sprinkle both sides with remaining pepper mixture, pressing firmly to adhere.

    Step 3

    Transfer baking sheet to oven and cook steak until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 110°, 65–85 minutes, depending on thickness (start checking after 30 minutes).

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, stir1 Tbsp. beef bouillon pasteand 1¼ cups warm water in a small bowl until dissolved. Set aside.

    Step 5

    Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Add2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, then carefully add steak. Cook steak, undisturbed, until a thick, dark brown crust forms underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and add2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed,1 thyme sprig, and½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butterto skillet. Tilt pan toward you so butter pools on one side; spoon over steak. Cook, basting continuously, until a dark brown crust forms on second side and steak is medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register an internal temperature of 125°), about 2 minutes. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest. Pour off fat from skillet; remove and discard garlic and thyme. Let pan cool slightly (do not wipe out).

    Step 6

    Heat1 Tbsp. unsalted butterin same skillet over medium-high. Cook2 medium shallots, finely chopped, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add1茶匙。英语芥末粉and cook, stirring constantly, just until mustard starts to stick to bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Leaning safely away from pan (mixture may ignite), add⅓ cup Calvados or other apple brandyand carefully return to heat. Cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until mixture is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add reserved bouillon mixture and remaining1 thyme sprigand cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one third, 5–7 minutes.

    Step 7

    Stir in⅓ cup heavy cream,1茶匙。sweet red pepper jelly, reserved pepper mixture, and remaining2 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

    Step 8

    To serve, carve meat away from bone and slice against the grain. Spoon some sauce onto a platter and arrange steak on top. Drizzle more sauce over as desired.

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