How to make the perfect côte de boeuf?

How to make the perfect côte de boeuf? If you asked me a few years ago, I wouldn’t be able to answer you. It wasn’t long ago that I got super nervous when roasting big cuts of meat. I mean it totally sucks if you’re buying a big cut of meat for a large sum of money and totally ruin it, right? Or worse, if you have a table full of guests and the meat dried out completely? The combination of being a penny-pinching Dutch with a dash of performance anxiety ensured I kept baking easy and small cuts of meat. However when I finally took the plunge and started experimenting, it wasn’t that hard at all. That’s why I wrote this blog post, so you can cook a perfect côte de boeuf as well in the future.

What do you need for 4 persons?

• 1,2 kilograms of côte de boeuf
• pepper and salt
• 25 grams of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• possibly 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary as a rub-in

So how do you make the perfect côte de boeuf?

Start by making sure the côte de boeuf is on room temperature by taking it out of the fridge at least 1 hour in advance (preferably longer). Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and rub it in the meat. If you prefer a Mediterranean rub, you can add the dried rosemary. I prefer it without.

Preheat the oven to 125 degrees C.

Use an oven-proof pan for baking the meat. First drop in a knob of butter and the olive oil, when the temperature is right (read: hot!), put in the meat. Pan-fry the meat 3 minutes on both sides to sear it, creating a flavorful browned crust.

Then put the pan in the oven and leave it there for 25 minutes. After you’ll have perfect rare meat, which is how I love to eat it. Do you prefer the côte de boeuf cooked a bit more, than leave it in the oven for 30 minutes for a medium cooked result. Well-done is not an option haha!