OVERVIEW
For this dish, we use the meat of a retired Jersey dairy cow, which is packed full of flavour. We cook the Jersey royals direct on the coals, getting a lovely char, then toss them through with the chimichurri while they’re still warm so they suck up and absorb all of the flavour. It’s finished with maître d’hôtel butter we make with Jersey butter. We drown the beef in that as soon as we’ve carved it. For me that’s just a perfect sharing plate for a Sunday – a nice big piece of beef in the middle of the table, friends and family around, getting stuck in. Perfect.
To make the shallot reduction for the butter, we finely dice shallots, cover with red wine vinegar and boil them over a high heat until dry. Store in a jar in the fridge until required.
MAKE THE BUTTER AND CHIMICHURRI
To make the maître d’hôtel butter, first soften the butter. Chop the parsley, smash the pickled peppercorns, then combine all the ingredients.
For the chimichurri, place all the ingredients in a liquidiser and blend with as much extra virgin olive oil as needed to achieve a smooth sauce. Season with red wine vinegar and sea salt.
SET UP YOUR EGG
Set up your EGG for direct cooking with a Cast Iron Searing Grid in place. The target temperature is 200°C.
Season the côte de boeuf generously with sea salt. Sear for 5 minutes, then turn. Keep turning until charred all round and the internal temperature reaches 50°C-55°C. This should take approximately 20 minutes.
COOK THE POTATOES
While the beef is cooking, parboil the Jersey royals in boiling salted water. When the beef is ready, take it off the EGG and leave it to rest for at least 20 minutes. Before carving, return the cote de boeuf to the EGG for 1 minute on each side.
Place the parboiled Jersey royals directly on the embers, turning occasionally until all sides are charred. Transfer to a bowl and dress with the chimichurri sauce.
FRY THE SHALLOTS
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Shallow fry the sliced shallots until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt.
Carve the cote de boeuf into slices. Arrange on a platter. Generously smother with the maître d'hôtel butter. Add the charred Jersey royals and finish with watercress sprigs and the crispy shallots.
