An exceptionally tender butcher's cut, seared hot on the grill and topped with a cold disc of maître d'hôtel butter that melts on contact with the steaming meat.
Ingredients
- 800 g trimmed Charolais beef merlan steak
- 80 g maître d'hôtel butter made with 82% fat unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp refined sunflower oil
- 4 pinches Guérande fleur de sel
- 1 tsp whole Kampot black peppercorns
Method
- Take the beef merlan steaks out of the refrigerator half an hour before cooking to bring the centers to room temperature and avoid a thermal shock that would toughen the meat.
- If you are making homemade maître d'hôtel butter, prepare it according to the dedicated method, then store it in the freezer so it is very firm when serving.
- Carefully pat both sides of the beef merlan steaks dry with paper towels to remove any trace of surface moisture.
- Brush each side of the meat with sunflower oil instead of pouring the fat into the skillet, which ensures a clean caramelization without smoking excessively.
- Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until the surface is smoking and giving off intense heat.
- Place the beef merlan steaks in the hot skillet without overlapping, then let them sear untouched for two minutes until a deeply golden brown crust forms and releases naturally.
- Carefully flip the steaks with tongs without piercing the meat, then cook the second side for one and a half to two minutes for a rare finish, recognizable by a soft, springy center when pressed.
- Immediately transfer the beef merlan steaks to a warmed plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let the meat rest for three minutes to allow the juices to redistribute through the muscle fibers.
- While the meat rests, slice the very cold maître d'hôtel butter into thick rounds using a knife warmed under running hot water.
- Plate each beef merlan steak on a warm plate, season the surface with fleur de sel and a grind of black pepper, then immediately top the meat with a nice round of cold maître d'hôtel butter so it melts gently at the table.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 445.7 kcal
- Protein
- 41.11 g
- Carbohydrate
- 0.82 g
- Fat
- 31.33 g
- Fibre
- 0.31 g
- Calcium
- 10.42 mg
- Iron
- 0.22 mg
- Magnesium
- 4.91 mg
