Upper Fillet and Ribs of Beef (Relevé)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy shallow roasting pan, about 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 inches)
• •Leave-in probe or instant-read thermometer
• •Boning knife and 25 cm (10-inch) carving knife
• •Cotton kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the joint

   Ask the butcher to remove the chine and feather bones while leaving the ribs attached, then to nick the tough white ligament along the backbone side at intervals of about 2.5 cm (1 inch). Those cuts prevent the joint from pulling out of shape, and clearing the spine bones lets you carve without wrestling the knife through bone at the table. If the roast has arrived with that ligament intact, lift it with the tip of a boning knife and make shallow cuts through the cord only, never deep into the meat.

   Do not ask for the ribs to be discarded or the whole joint rolled boneless. The source is plain on this point: good contrefilet is best roasted with its bones retained.
2. 2

   Salt and tie

   Pat the beef completely dry. Season it all over with the salt, working some beneath the fat cap where it lifts naturally, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours if time permits. For cooking tonight, season it at least 1 hour before roasting and keep it in a cool place; the center need not reach room temperature. Tie the joint between and beyond the ribs so the meat holds an even cylinder, then add the pepper just before it goes into the oven.

3. 3

   Start the roast

   Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F), allowing it a full 30 minutes to become thoroughly hot. Set the beef in a heavy shallow roasting pan with the ribs underneath and the fat cap uppermost; no rack is needed because the bones are doing that work. Roast for 20 minutes without opening the door, until the exterior has taken a deep Maillard bronze rather than a timid beige.

4. 4

   Baste and finish

   Reduce the oven to 165°C (325°F). Dot 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter over the fat cap, insert a probe into the thickest part from the side without touching bone, and continue roasting for 45 to 70 minutes. Baste once or twice with the butter and rendered beef fat. Begin checking early and remove the joint at 50 to 52°C (122 to 125°F) for a rosy medium-rare center. If the crust darkens before the center is ready, cover the top loosely with foil and lower the oven to 150°C (300°F); ça se rattrape. If the pan fond threatens to turn black, add a spoonful of the measured boiling water around the meat, never over its crust.

5. 5

   Rest without smothering

   Transfer the roast to a warm board and cover it loosely with foil for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not wrap it tightly, or the trapped moisture softens the crust you worked to build. The internal temperature should rise several degrees while the juices settle back through the meat. If the roast has already passed the intended temperature, take it off the hot pan at once and rest it uncovered so retained heat does not carry it farther.

6. 6

   Make the jus

   While the beef rests, pour most of the fat from the roasting pan into a heatproof bowl, leaving the brown fond and a thin film of fat behind. Set the pan over medium heat, add the remaining boiling water, and scrape up every mahogany-colored deposit. Reduce until about ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) remains and the jus tastes concentrated but clean. If any patch of fond is black and bitter, leave it behind and transfer the good brown juices to a clean saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter until the jus gleams. If it looks greasy, skim it; if it becomes too salty or tight, loosen it with a little hot water.

7. 7

   Carve across grain

   Remove the twine. Run a sharp knife along the curve of the ribs and lift the meat away in one piece; because the chine and feather bones were cleared, the blade should travel cleanly. Cut the meat across the grain into generous slices about 1.25 cm (½ inch) thick, then separate the ribs for anyone who understands that the cook's portion is often the best one. Arrange everything on a warm platter and spoon over only enough jus to gloss the cut surfaces, serving the rest alongside. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source asks for beef that has been well hung. Its modern equivalent is meat aged under controlled refrigeration by the butcher, not a joint left uncovered in the household refrigerator. Ask how the beef was aged and choose a piece with supple meat, creamy fat, and fine marbling.
• •Have the butcher remove the chine and feather bones but retain the ribs. This is not decorative trimming. It preserves the protection and flavor of bone-in roasting while making the finished joint simple to carve.
• •A thermometer is the useful modern tool here. Insert it from the side into the center of the eye, clear of fat and bone; touching either gives you a false reading and turns an expensive roast into guesswork.
• •For guests who require beef cooked to the conservative food-safety target, serve the center at 63°C (145°F) after its rest and hold it there for at least 3 minutes. It will be more fully cooked than the classical rosy roast, so slice it a little thicker and serve it generously with the jus.
• •Pour a Cabernet-led red Bordeaux or another firm, dry red with enough freshness to meet the beef fat. The roast needs structure in the glass, not sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •Order the joint from the butcher several days ahead, specifying that the chine and feather bones should be removed while the ribs remain attached. This small conversation replaces difficult butchery at home.
• •Salt the prepared roast uncovered in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours before cooking. The surface dries for better browning while the seasoning works gradually into the meat.
• •The roast may rest for up to 40 minutes while the jus and side dishes are finished. Keep the foil loose, and warm the serving platter rather than returning the beef to the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)