ib eye is my favorite beef cut and probably the favorite of many others, too. It’s a big, sexy, luxurious steak and it’s not cheap, so save this recipe for a special occasion. Don’t be freaked out by the prospect of serving each person a 1½-pound steak. In this case, nearly half of that weight is bone and fat, so it’s not as outrageous as it seems.
Overall this recipe is simple, but you do have to pay attention to the details, like bringing the steaks all the way to room temperature before cooking, seasoning the meat 1 hour ahead of time, searing it in a blazing-hot pan, and pulling the compound butter out of the fridge about a half hour before serving. These little things affect the quality of the finished dish.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in rib eyes, 1¼ to 1½ pounds each and 1½
- inches thick, at room temperature
- 8 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
How to Make It
- Let the steaks come to room temperature, about 2 hours. One hour before cooking, season each rib eye on both sides with 2 teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Just before cooking, blot steaks dry with a paper towel (but don’t rub seasoning off). Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat a black steel pan over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat until the surface is rippling but not smoking. Place 1 rib eye in the hot pan and press a heavy plate or bowl onto the steak to ensure an even sear. Cook each side until a heavy, crackly crust forms (avoid creating many black spots), 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Set the seared steak on a clean plate. Rinse the pan and wipe it completely dry, and then repeat the process to sear the remaining steaks, using 1 tablespoon oil each time.
- Once all of the steaks have been seared, remove the baking sheet from the oven, place the seared steaks on it, and return the baking sheet to the oven. Cook the steaks, flipping after 2 minutes, for 4 to 6 minutes total, until each steak reaches an internal temperature of 114°F to 117°F for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a plate and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Allow the steaks to rest for 8 to 10 minutes.
- To serve with Blue Cheese Butter, Fried Shallots, and Duchess Potatoes with Smoked Onion Soubise as shown (see photo), make the fried shallots up to 3 days in advance; they don’t need to be reheated before serving. Make the potatoes up to 1 day ahead and reheat just before serving. The compound butter needs 2 hours to chill, so make it at least 1 day in advance. On the day of serving, cut four slices, each ½ inch thick, from the log of compound butter and set them aside to soften slightly. After the steaks have rested for 6 to 8 minutes, top each one with a slice of butter and let them rest, uncovered, for about 2 minutes more.
- Plate each butter-topped steak with a small duchess potato or two and a scattering of fried shallots. I also like to add a few sprigs of very lightly dressed herb salad to help brighten the plate and refresh the palate.
