Chef notes
Juicy steak is always a crowd-pleasing main course, but chef Michael White takes it one step further by choosing premium rib eye beef and coating it in flavorful rosemary salt before grilling.
Chef's Note: The Rosemary Salt recipe makes about 3/4 cup. The salt can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs, needles only
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 2 rib eye steaks, 36 to 42 ounces each
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, halved
Preparation
For the Rosemary salt:
1.Put 2 tablespoons of the salt in a food processor, add the pepper, garlic, sage, rosemary needles and lemon zest, and pulse a few times to finely chop the herbs and integrate the ingredients into a green, almost pesto-like paste.
2.Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into an airtight container. Stir the remaining salt. (Adding the rest of the salt after processing allows the mixture to retain the properties of the coarse salt, preventing it from becoming too powdery or wet, which is essential for achieving the desired effect on the grill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
For the Rib Eye Steak Florentine:
1.Prepare a charcoal grill for grilling, banking the coals on one side and let them burn until covered with white ash.
2.Season the beef all over with the rosemary salt or with the kosher salt and black pepper.
3.For rare beef, set the steaks over direct heat and grill, turning over with tongs, until nice grill marks form and the meat is charred, about 10 minutes per side. Then use tongs to stand the steaks up over the cooler side of the grill, and grill for another 5 minutes.
4.For medium-rare, add 3-5 minutes to each of the 3 cooking sides, or cook a bit more for well done.
5.Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, let rest for 10 minutes.
6.Slice the meat and divide among 6 to 8 dinner plates.
7.Drizzle the slices with the olive oil and finish with a sprinkling of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
8.Set a lemon half alongside each portion and serve.
