Dry-Aged Côte de Boeuf with Bone Marrow Butter and Pommes Purée

⏱ 110 min · Serves 2

A proper steakhouse showstopper for two: a thick dry-aged rib on the bone, seared hard then basted in foaming butter, crowned with melting bone marrow butter and served with silky, almost indecently buttery pommes purée. Carve it at the table and let everyone gasp.

Per serving: 1610 kcal · 86.0g protein · 42.0g carbs · 128.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 dry-aged côte de boeuf (bone-in rib steak), about 1kg, 4-5cm thick, at room temperature for 1 hour
• 2 tbsp beef dripping or neutral oil
• Flaky sea salt and coarsely cracked black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 2 sprigs thyme, 1 sprig rosemary
• 50g unsalted butter, for basting
• 200g beef marrow bones, split (ask your butcher), or 80g scooped raw marrow
• 120g unsalted butter, softened, for the marrow butter
• 1 small shallot, very finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• 800g floury-but-waxy potatoes such as Desiree or Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into even chunks
• 200g cold unsalted butter, cubed, for the purée
• 120ml whole milk, warmed
• Salt and white pepper
• Watercress, to serve

Method

1. Soak the split marrow bones in cold salted water for 30 minutes, then scoop the marrow out and pat dry. Dice half of it small and set aside; roast the rest on a tray at 200C for 8-10 minutes until just melting, then chop.
2. Beat the 120g softened butter with the roasted and raw diced marrow, shallot, parsley, chives, Dijon, lemon zest, ½ tsp flaky salt and plenty of pepper. Roll tightly in cling film into a log and chill until firm.
3. Pat the côte de boeuf very dry and season generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 130C fan.
4. Heat a heavy ovenproof pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat with the dripping. Sear the beef hard for 3-4 minutes a side until deeply crusted, plus 1 minute on the fat edge, standing it up with tongs.
5. Add the 50g butter, garlic and herbs and baste continuously for 2 minutes, spooning the foaming butter over the meat. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the centre reads 50-52C for medium rare, about 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.
6. Rest the beef on a warm rack, loosely tented, for a full 15 minutes. It will climb to about 55C.
7. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in cold salted water, bring to a simmer and cook until completely tender, 18-20 minutes. Drain well and dry in the hot pan for a minute.
8. Pass the potatoes through a ricer or fine drum sieve back into the pan. Over low heat, beat in the cold 200g butter a few cubes at a time until glossy, then loosen with warm milk. Season with salt and white pepper and keep warm.
9. Carve the beef off the bone in thick slices against the grain, spoon over the resting juices and top with thick coins of bone marrow butter so it melts.
10. Serve with a mound of pommes purée, a handful of watercress and extra flaky salt at the table.