Steak Recipes, Beef Recipes

Côte de Boeuf with Béarnaise Sauce

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Cote de boeuf cooked rare and covered in a béarnaise sauce, served alongside potatoes and watercress.

Côte de boeuf is best served thick. The generous marbling of Swaledale’s native breed ribs is what sets them apart; as the meat cooks, the fat softens and runs through the flesh like jelly, leaving it beautifully tender and full of flavour. It is a cut that needs little embellishment, just careful cooking and a proper sauce.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours room temperature

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Method

  1. Take the steaks out of the fridge at least two hours before you wish to cook them.
  2. Pick the tarragon and set the leaves to one side. Put the stalks in a small saucepan along with the vinegar, shallot, peppercorns, mace and bay leaf. Add a good splash of water, bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer until half the liquid has evaporated. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and allow to cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the beef very well.
  4. Heat a heavy pan with a good splash of oil. Brown the beef well on the first side, taking it to the stage where a good crust is starting to develop. Turn it over and do the same again.
  5. Pull the pan back from the heat and add the salted butter. It will melt and foam most promptly. Using a spoon, baste the ribs repeatedly. Turn down the heat and continue cooking for a further 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally and taking care not to burn the butter.
  6. Place the ribs in the oven and cook for about 5 minutes, or 10 for a thicker piece of meat. A thermometer can give confidence – 49°C core temperature for rare, 51–53°C for medium-rare.
  7. Remove from the oven, transfer to a warmed serving platter, spoon over the pan butters and juices, and rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.
  8. Whilst the meat is resting, rustle up the béarnaise. Place a bowl over a pan of just-boiled water. Add the yolks and vinegar reduction, then whisk to a light pale cream – about two minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, melt the unsalted butter and ensure it is piping hot. Pour it in drop by drop, increasing your pouring speed once the mixture has emulsified and begun to thicken. Keep a kettle of hot water to hand – if the mixture becomes too thick or looks as if it’s about to split, a splash of hot water will save the day.
  10. Once done, chop the tarragon leaves and stir them into the sauce with a seasoning of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper.
  11. Should, horror of horrors, the béarnaise split, it is easy to correct. Transfer the split sauce to a jug. Place a splash of boiling water in a clean bowl over hot water, then drizzle in the split sauce at a slow, steady pace while whisking constantly. An old-fashioned electric beater can help the timid.
  12. To serve, slice each rib into 6–8 pieces and divide between four plates with a generous garnish of watercress. The béarnaise is best served in a bowl at the table. As for the bones – there are always a few who like to gnaw on the crisp attachments, so let them.

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Henry Harris is an acclaimed chef, restaurateur and food writer who has worked in food and hospitality for more than 40 years. He began his career waiting tables in his father’s restaurant before becoming an apprentice at Hilaire under Simon Hopkinson. He later followed Hopkinson to Bibendum as his number two, before going on to open Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Restaurant.

In 2002, Henry opened Racine in Knightsbridge as chef patron, creating a much-loved London restaurant devoted to the food of Paris, Provence and the South West of France. Since then, he has written for titles including The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer and Noble Rot, alongside consultancy work for restaurants and groups including Soho House and The Groucho Club.

In 2022, Henry opened Bouchon Racine with his business partner Dave Strauss to widespread critical acclaim. His second cookbook, The Racine Effect, was published in March 2026.