A 4 cm thick aged ribeye on the bone, cooked over white-hot embers in the Basque tradition. Salted only after the sear, sliced off the bone and served with peppers and a glass of Rioja.
Serves 2 to 3Prep 1 hrCook 14 min
What to ask for
This recipe calls for Chuletón. Can't get it where you are?
Ingredients & method
Ingredients
- 1 chuletón, 4 cm thick (1.2 to 1.5 kg), aged at least 30 days, ideally from old-cow (vaca vieja) or rubia gallega
- Coarse sea salt (sal en escamas)
- Black pepper
- Roasted piquillo peppers, to serve
- Crusty bread, to serve
Method
- 1Take the chuletón out of the fridge a full hour before cooking — internal temperature must approach room temp for an even cook.
- 2Build a charcoal fire — preferably encina (holm oak) or vine cuttings. Burn down to glowing embers with a thin coat of grey ash.
- 3Pat the chuletón dry. Do not salt it yet.
- 4Place directly over the embers, 10 to 15 cm above the heat. Sear undisturbed for 6 minutes. The fat should crackle; flames will leap — this is correct.
- 5Flip and sear the second side 5 to 6 minutes. Stand the steak on the bone-edge for 90 seconds to render the fat strip.
- 6Transfer to a hot plate. Now season heavily with sal en escamas. Rest 5 minutes.
- 7Carve the meat off the bone, slice across the grain into 1 cm strips. Serve over a wooden plate with roasted piquillos and bread. Pour Rioja.
Chef's tip
Salting before grilling draws out moisture and prevents the crust. Basque tradition is firm: salt after the sear, never before.
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