Rib-eye steak with caramelised endive
Serves 4
Rib-eye steaks have flooded the shelves, and seem to be the most popular cut of beef, above fillet and sirloin. I must say, both of the latter are overrated cuts for flavour-the rib wins hands down. If you can persuade your butcher to keep the bone on it as an individual steak, or as one between two people, it’s even better. Endive doesn’t often get cooked, and normally ends up in the salad bowl, but, when slowly roasted, it takes on the most delicious sweet and savoury flavours.
Ingredients
4 beef ribs on the bone, weighing 350g-400g each, or two weighing about 800g each
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
4 heads of endive
60g butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/ gas mark 5. Place the endive heads in a roasting dish or casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Season, spoon the butter over, cover and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, basting every so often. Remove the lid and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, basting a couple
of times, until they’re nicely coloured and tender.
Meanwhile, preheat a ribbed griddle pan or heavy frying pan, lightly oil and season the ribs and cook on the griddle for 4-5 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness, keeping them rare.
Serve
on warmed serving plates with the endive heads next to them. If you’re cooking double-sized ribs, double the cooking time or finish them on the griddle in the oven, then slice at the table.
Veal chop with roasted red onions
Serves 4
The chop from the loin or rib is one of the most delicious cuts of veal, and often features on Italian menus. A good butcher should be able to cut you a decent one, or you can buy them online from Donald Russell (www.donaldrussell.com).
Ingredients
4 veal chops, weighing about 350g each
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
4 medium-sized red onions, quartered, but with their skins still on
2-3tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
80g butter
A few sprigs of rosemary with the stalks removed
Method
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/ gas mark 6. Place the red onions in a roasting tray, season and spoon over some of the oil. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they’re tender and nicely coloured. Meanwhile, preheat a ribbed griddle pan or heavy frying pan, lightly oil and
season the chops and cook them on the griddle for 4-5 minutes on each side, keeping them
nice and pink.
To serve, heat the butter in a pan until it’s starting to foam, drop in the rosemary and remove from the heat. Transfer the chops to warmed serving plates and arrange the onions next to them and spoon the rosemary butter over them.
And to drink…
Rib-eye steak with caramelised endive The gutsy 2007 Domaine La Tour Vieille Collioure, Puig Oriol (£14.95, Yapp Brothers) has a vibrant perfume of cassis and black plum, and the rich, earthy fruits on the palate provide a perfect foil to this hearty steak and chicory.
Veal chop with roasted red onions This Greenstone Heathcote Sangiovese from Victoria, Australia (£25.50, Tesco Wine by the Case) is particularly special. It has a hint of leather and a touch of wild herbs that pick up on the rosemary used in this dish.
Greenstone is considerably cheaper than a top-notch Chianti, and is every bit as delicious.
Chosen by Amelia Pinsent
Mark Hix’s ‘Seasonal Food’ is available from Quadrille at £25
