Chef Juliette
Châteaubriand, Fillet Steak, Tournedos
One tenderloin heart, three classical portions: roast Châteaubriand for carving, bifteck de filet for one, tournedos two to a plate, all with braised endives and a red-wine pan jus.
Culinary Explorer
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Grilled Sirloin Steaks and Ribs of Beef
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 1144, Grilled Sirloin Steaks and Ribs of Beef, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Contre-filet et côte de bœuf grillés teaches the law of a thick cut: fierce color first, gentler heat through the center, then a full rest before butter and carving.
Main Dishes
French
Comfort Food
Date Night
Dinner Party
20 min
Active Time
35 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield4 servings
Contre-filets et côtes de bœuf grillés (grilled sirloin steaks and ribs of beef) teaches the law of the thick cut: its outside needs fierce heat, but its center needs time away from it. The source's two-to-three-pound ceiling isn't a flourish. Go larger and the exterior chars before the middle is ready; go much thinner and you lose the generous, evenly rosy slices that make this a shared dish.
The old instruction leaves nearly all its craft inside the word grillés. It assumed a grillardin, the grill cook, tending a broad coal fire; elsewhere, a saucier and stock never off the fire stood ready for the less-tender rib sent to braise. A salamander, the overhead broiler, isn't the answer for this thick grilled cut because it colors one face while leaving the center to chance. At home, one tender, evenly cut steak of two and a half pounds feeds four, a lidded two-zone grill replaces the open range, and an instant-read thermometer replaces brigade intuition. One cook, one stove, one evening, with the grill serving as the old open fire.
The catalogue of garnishes and separate sauce work belongs to the braised branch and can go. For the grillade, the browned crust, melted butter, and resting juices are the sauce. The weight limit, tender cut, controlled fire, and full rest must stay. Build two distinct heat zones before the meat meets the grate; that is the step that decides the dish.
The grillade belongs to the classical rôtisseur's station rather than to one French region: contre-filet came from the loin, while côte de bœuf came from the rib, and both were judged for tenderness and even thickness before reaching the fire. In classical butchery, côte de bœuf means a thick bone-in rib steak, not a rack of short ribs, while entrecôte names the boneless meat associated with the space between the ribs. Bistro and bourgeois tables adopted these large cuts for sharing, but the identity of the dish remained simple: good beef, direct heat, careful resting, and no sauce required to disguise the meat.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
thick contre-filet or tender bone-in côte de bœuf
Quantity
1 steak (2½ lb / 1.13 kg)
evenly cut, 2½ to 3 inches (6.5 to 7.5 cm) thick
fine sea salt
Quantity
2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g)
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1 teaspoon (5 ml / 2 g)
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g)
softened
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| thick contre-filet or tender bone-in côte de bœufevenly cut, 2½ to 3 inches (6.5 to 7.5 cm) thick | 1 steak (2½ lb / 1.13 kg) |
| fine sea salt | 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g) |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 2 g) |
| unsalted buttersoftened | 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Lidded charcoal or gas grill with two heat zones
- •Instant-read thermometer
- •Long grilling tongs
- •Rimmed carving platter
- •Sharp carving knife
Instructions
- 1
Build two heat zones
Prepare a lidded grill with one fiercely hot zone and one gentler zone. Bank hot coals over half of a charcoal grill and leave the other half clear, or set one side of a gas grill to high and the other to low. Heat the grates thoroughly, then scrub them clean. The hot side builds the crust; the gentler side brings the thick center to temperature without burning what you've already browned.
Do not spread the coals evenly. One uniform fire gives you nowhere to move the beef when its crust is ready before its center. - 2
Dry and season
Dry every surface of the beef thoroughly. If it wasn't salted in advance, season it evenly with all the fine salt immediately before grilling; hold the pepper until the first crust has formed so it doesn't scorch. Press along the steak with your fingers and check that its thickness is reasonably even. A sharply tapered end will cook first, so point that end toward the gentler side of the fire.
- 3
Sear the first crust
Lay the beef over the hottest part of the grill and leave it alone until it releases cleanly and wears a deep Maillard bronze crust, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and brown the second face for another 3 to 4 minutes, then hold the fat edge against the grate with tongs for about 1 minute. If dripping fat causes flames, move the beef to the cool zone at once and close the lid until they subside. Ça se rattrape. Never fight a flare-up by leaving the meat inside it, and don't spray water onto the grill.
If the steak grips the grate, give it another thirty seconds. Properly browned meat releases; pulling early tears away the crust you came to build. - 4
Finish over gentler heat
Move the beef to the gentler zone and close the lid. Turn it every 4 to 5 minutes so the heat travels evenly, checking the center from the side with an instant-read thermometer and keeping the probe away from bone. Allow roughly 12 to 22 minutes after searing. Pull the beef at 125 to 128°F (52 to 53°C) for a final medium-rare center, or at 135°F (57°C) for medium; a cut this thick commonly rises another 5 to 10°F (3 to 6°C) while resting. If the crust is already dark but the center is lagging, keep it on the gentler side with the lid closed. That is precisely what the second zone is for.
- 5
Butter and rest
Set the beef on a warm rimmed platter and spread 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the softened butter over its top. Season with the black pepper, then rest it for 12 to 15 minutes under a very loose tent of foil. Don't wrap it tightly, which softens the crust. Resting lets the temperature finish climbing and keeps the juices inside the slices rather than flooding the board.
- 6
Carve across grain
For a côte de bœuf, run the knife along the bone and set the bone at the edge of the platter. Carve the meat across the grain into slices about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. Stir the resting juices with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter and spoon them over the slices. If the center proves too rare for your table, return the unsliced portion to the gentler zone for a few minutes; if it went too far, carve it more thinly and coat every slice with the buttered juices. You cannot put pink back, but you can still serve it generously. Never apologize at your own table. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Ask the butcher for one evenly thick piece between two and three pounds, not a small steak for each person. A well-marbled rib is forgiving; contre-filet is leaner and rewards closer attention. If the rib is firm rather than naturally tender, change the plan and braise it, as the source permits. Tough beef doesn't become tender through optimism.
- •No outdoor grill is required. Sear the beef in a very hot heavy cast-iron skillet, then finish it on a rack in a 425°F (220°C) oven until it reaches the same internal temperature. You lose the flavor of the open fire, but the strong crust, gentle finish, and rest preserve the dish's intent.
- •For diners who require fully cooked beef, bring the center to 145°F (63°C) and rest it for at least 3 minutes. Use the thermometer rather than color alone, especially close to the bone.
- •Pour a red with freshness as well as structure, such as a Médoc-style Bordeaux or a northern Rhône Syrah. The beef and butter need firmness, but a heavy, sweet bottle only tires the palate.
- •Refrigerate leftover beef within 2 hours and keep it for up to 3 days. Slice it cold for sandwiches, or warm thick slices briefly in butter over gentle heat; hard reheating cooks the center twice.
Advance Preparation
- •The beef may be salted 8 to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated uncovered on a rack. This dries the surface for better browning and seasons the thick center. If you don't have that time, salt immediately before grilling rather than leaving it salted for a short interval while moisture gathers on the surface.
- •Ask the butcher to cut the steak to an even thickness and trim only hard exterior fat. Take it from the refrigerator while the grill heats, but don't leave raw beef on the counter for a long tempering ritual. The two-zone fire handles the cold center honestly.
- •Grill close to serving time and protect the full resting period in your schedule. The cooked steak can wait fifteen minutes with grace; carving it early does more harm than asking the table to wait.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 195g)
Calories
585 calories
Total Fat
44 g
Saturated Fat
20 g
Trans Fat
2 g
Unsaturated Fat
20 g
Cholesterol
180 mg
Sodium
1050 mg
Total Carbohydrates
0 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
47 g
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