A perfectly cooked steak is quite the aphrodisiac. At Sublime, we think that if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. That’s why on Valentine’s Day, we don’t just cook our better halves any old steak — we rustle up a magnificent, showstopping Côte de Boeuf. 

The Côte de Boeuf is a pretty pricey cut, but it offers a lot of bang for your buck. Rich, flavourful and tender don’t quite cut the mustard. This is as decadent and memorable as it gets. Add Sublime No. 8 — Red Chilli, Smoked Salt & Lime to the mix and it’s downright filthy. In a good way, obviously. What’s more, despite how impressive and delicious it is, it’s extremely easy to cook. 

Note: We’d highly recommend using a meat probe for this recipe.

Ingredients

One 0.8-1.2kg Côte de Boeuf, depending on your appetite

Maldon salt

⅓ Roll of Sublime No. 8 (buy it here)

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 110˚C (fan). In the meantime, salt your Côte de Boeuf generously and allow it to come to room temperature. 

2. Place your Côte de Boeuf in a roasting tray in the centre of the oven. Leave it to cook for one hour per kilogram, or until it reaches 50˚C internally (medium rare) or 52˚C (medium). The steak will continue rising in temperature slightly as it rests. 

3. Once your temperature has been achieved, remove the steak from the oven and allow it to rest for up to one hour. Don’t skip this step, as it’s the key to locking in moisture and flavour.

4. 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add a griddle pan to the hob and turn the heat to maximum. If you’re using cast iron, you’ll need to wait at least five minutes for your pan to get as screaming hot as possible. 

5. Brush your steak with a small amount of rapeseed oil to prevent sticking. 

6. Position the pan so that the griddle lines sit at a 45˚ angle to you. This takes the guesswork out of getting a perfect cross-hatch effect. Place your steak in the centre of the griddle pan with the bone pointing to 12 o’clock. Allow it to sear for one minute, and resist the urge to move it in the pan. 

7. Carefully turn the steak 90 degrees and allow it to cook for a further one minute. 

8. Turn the steak over to the other side, and sear for one minute. 

9. Turn the steak 90 degrees for a final time, Add a few discs of Sublime No. 8 to the top, and allow to melt. Once the final minute is up, remove your Côte de Boeuf from the heat and place on a serving plate. Rest it for five minutes before carving. It’ll also look great on a chunky butcher’s block if you have one. 

10. Serve alongside a simple dressed salad, and your favourite steakhouse sides. 

(Optional) Melt some more No. 8 in the pan using the residual heat. Pour this over your steak for added ridiculousness.