Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to Cook Côte de Boeuf Steak at Home Perfectly

Max Schwartz/The Manual

Are you searching for a sexy Valentine’s date night recipe to make at home? Impress your partner and your palate with a thick, juicy côte de boeuf.

Côte de boeuf is just a fancy French word for a bone-in ribeye steak, so don’t be intimidated by cooking this glorious hunk of meat. To make things even easier for you, we turned to Jordan Terry for some expert advice. Terry is the executive chef at Major Food Group’s Dirty French, a lively bistro that infuses classic dishes with contemporary techniques and bold flavors. The côte de boeuf is one of the most popular menu items at the restaurant, and it’s actually quite simple to make at home — all you need are a few ingredients, some time, and a carnivorous appetite. Here, chef Terry walks us through all the necessary steps and tells us how to prepare a salad and potatoes to go with the dish.

Max Schwartz/The Manual

Côte de Boeuf Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Côte de Boeuf (bone-in ribeye) 30-40oz, 2-3 inches thick
  • 1 pound butter
  • 2 bunches thyme
  • 1 bunch rosemary
  • 1 head garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Canola oil

Method:

Note: A 12-inch cast iron is a great pan and perfect for this.

  1. To season, lay the CDB on a large tray and grind black pepper on it until your arm is tired, then keep going. Take a break and cover the CDB with kosher salt. Sprinkle some oil over it and keep raining down salt, which will help form the crust.
  2. Place the pan on high heat until it is ripping hot, about five minutes, and douse with oil to cover the bottom at least a quarter inch. A smoking pan is a good indicator that the pan is ready. Quickly lay in the CDB to get an initial char.
  3. After a minute or two, flip the CDB. Sear this side on high heat for another minute or so. Keep flipping the CDB every one to two minutes, slowly building the sear. Each side gets high heat for a bit, then a bit of relief. This allows the heat to enter the meat more slowly and evenly, avoiding the “bullseye” of temperatures in this thick cut of beef and giving more control over the final temperature. This process can take a solid 10-20 minutes of cooking, depending on the CDB and heat source. Use a meat thermometer and cook it until the CDB is about 105-110 degrees in the pan.
  4. Once the CDB’s temperature is in the rare cooked zone, carefully pour out the oil from the pan into a heat-safe container. Then add a large spoonful of butter, a bunch of thyme, a few sprigs of rosemary, a few cloves of crushed garlic, and another pinch of salt. Begin basting the butter and aromatics over the steak until the butter is super foamy and starting to brown.
  5. Then place the herbs on a tray and lay the CDB, along with the butter, on top of them to rest (the herbs elevate the steak so it’s not sitting in its own juices, which could diminish the crust). This step cannot be skipped. It is part of the cooking process. Just set it aside, drink some wine, wipe down the oil on the stove and relax. Allow the CDB to rest for a solid 10-20 minutes, at least as long as the cooking time, until it reaches body temperature. It is now ready to serve.
  6. Ideally, the potatoes were cooked earlier and are someplace warm nearby, and the salad can be dressed and set on the table. As a final step, take the wiped-out pan and place it back over high heat for a minute or so, and add another big spoon of butter, thyme, rosemary, and salt until it is foamy and aromatic. Add the well-rested CDB to the butter, searing it on each side and basting again to warm it up slightly.
  7. Remove the CDB from the pan to a cutting board. Slice it into half-inch thick slices. If everything has gone to plan, there should be some evenly rosy pieces with a beautiful dark crust on each side. Place the slices on a large platter, pour a bit of the pan drippings on top, pour some more wine, and enjoy. Don’t forget the old restaurant adage that the key to a good steak is a good steak knife. If you’re gonna splurge, you gotta splurge.

Side Dishes

Simple Salad

This is a favorite simple salad of various greens — little gem, bib lettuce, arugula, iceberg, kale, or whatever greens are preferred. It should be dressed very simply with a squeeze of lemon juice and a small glug of olive oil. Another alternative is some mustard, vinegar, and olive oil.

Pomme Purée

Dirty French serves theirs in the style of Joel Robuchon’s Pomme Purée, which is essentially equal parts potatoes and butter. It is a recipe that takes a lot of tools and practice, and even then, we still mess it up and make a mess. So really, just make your favorite mashed potatoes. In a pinch, Popeyes will deliver a fine version to pass off as your own.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
How to make Korean BBQ at home: Everything you need to know
Savory, meaty, and spicy, Korean BBQ is a crowd-pleasing meal that's perfect for any gathering
how to make korean bbq galbi beef kit for 6 8 7c967ac965aefa33014d4786505da160

In America, grilling is primarily a summer pastime. But in Korea, grilling is a year-round event cooked indoors on tabletop grills. Accompanied by an array of side dishes, sauces, and herbs, Korean barbecue is perfect for a family dinner or social gathering — no matter the weather.

To start your Korean barbecue journey, it’s important to choose a good tabletop grill. While you can use an outdoor grill, cooking on the table is part of the experience. Most modern Korean grills are electric or butane, although charcoal grills are still used in some Korean restaurants.
Marinade
While many popular Korean barbecue cuts can be served un-marinated — pork belly or thinly sliced beef brisket — marinades are popular for most cuts. Marinades can include everything from red gochujang paste for spicy pork to sweet soy sauce for beef short ribs.
Korean beef marinade

Read more
How To Perfectly Roast a Chicken at Home
A whole roasted chicken served on a plate

An expertly roasted chicken, with its juicy meat and crispy skin, has a tendency to remind you of your childhood. Remember those days? No real responsibility, energy of a baby jackrabbit, sneaking sips from dad's glass of bourbon, and mom's home-cooked Sunday dinners of roasted chicken with buttery mashed potatoes and gravy. They call it "comfort food" for a reason, and a roasted chicken is definitely one of those foods. Seemingly simple on paper, roasting a chicken the right way does require some proper planning and know-how to ensure your roasted bird comes out the same as if it were cooked by a professional chef.

We're going to outline every step of the process to make sure your roasted chicken is the best it can be, from what to look for when buying your bird, to the differences between wet and dry brining, to roasting. It may seem like a long process, but the effort is rewarded in the end with what will be the best-roasted chicken you've (probably) ever had.

Read more
How To Cook Kabocha Squash, the Perfect Fall Ingredient
Kabocha Squash sliced in half with knife.

For those looking for a different spin to standard orange pumpkin recipes this fall, no look further than the kabocha squash. A dark green-skinned pumpkin about 9-12 inches in diameter, this Japanese ingredient is delicious, combining a flavor profile best described as a mix between pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and chestnuts. Like the familiar orange pumpkin, kabocha squash can also be made into a variety of recipes both sweet and savory. It's the perfect addition to your fall cooking repertoire.
How To Prep Kabocha Squash
Originally from South America, kabocha squash was brought to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Kabocha squash is very popular in Japan, finding its way into stews, desserts, tempura, and even sushi. Because of its popularity in Japanese cuisine, the best place to purchase kabocha squash is at your local Asian grocery. If you can't source kabocha squash, a suitable replacement is calabaza squash, which is very popular in Latin American communities. Calabaza squash has a similar texture to butternut squash. Just remember — calabaza squash is much larger than kabocha, so adjust the recipe accordingly.

Preparation of kabocha squash starts with slicing the whole pumpkin in half and removing the seeds. Since the rind is edible, there is no need to remove it. Most grocery stores will also sell kabocha squash sliced in half or quarters for those looking for smaller portions. If left intact, kabocha squash can be stored for a month without going bad. If sliced, however, kabocha squash should be refrigerated and used within a few days. Besides being tasty, kabocha squash is also packed with nutrients. Specifically, it's a great source of vitamin A alongside magnesium and vitamin C.
Fall Stuffed Kabocha Squash

Read more