Barbecued Rib Steak

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

25 mins

I recommend making the charcoal from kiln-dried hardwood such as oak, ash, beech, cherry, apple, pear, hawthorn or olive. Try burning some whole woody herbs such as rosemary or thyme over the charcoal just before I place the steak to cook. The herby smoke flavours the beef and provides a nice touch. Cooking times are also crucial when cooking a large rib steak. The thickness of a large rib steak tends to be between 6 and 10cm (2 and 4 inches) which means each side of the steak needs to be cooked for longer than normal. Rib steaks are always served rare to medium rare because of the higher amount of fat vs meat. If the steak is cooked for too long, the fat will contract and toughen the steak. It is also key to serve the steak thinly sliced on a hot plate. The plate will keep the beef warm, so the fat doesn’t go cold and once again contract.

Ingredients

1-1.2kg dry-aged rib steak, on the bone
Sea salt

Method

Pre-heat your fuego wood-fired oven to 200°C. Once the oven has reached temperature, push the hot embers to one side of the oven.
Allow the steak to reach room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator 6 hours before cooking it. The meat should be at a temperature of around 20°C when cooking it. About 30 minutes before cooking, season the steak on both sides with a heavy layer of sea salt. The sodium in the salt will draw out any moisture on the surface of the steak, which in turn, will provide a crispy layer when cooking.
Prepare your oven for barbecuing by making a pile of hot embers in the centre of the oven. With the help of a pair of kitchen tongues, place four old dariole moulds, one on each corner, ensuring the embers are in the middle and that you can securely sit a wired metal rack on top of the moulds. Before you cook the steak, ensure the hot embers have turned white and there are no flames over them. To test this, if you can hold your hand over the coals for 3 seconds, they are ready. Make sure the white embers are well piled up at a distance of about 15cm (6 inches) from the steak.
Cook the steak for 8-10 minutes each side without touching it or moving it. Whilst the steak is cooking, place you serving platter on the entrance of oven to heat up.
To serve the steak, cut alongside the bone to separate it off and then cut the steak widthways into thin strips. Make sure you keep the shape of the steak together when slicing it, so the slices keep hot and you are able to lift them up onto the serving platter. Place the bone on the hot platter, followed by the sliced steak. Open the slices slightly and sprinkle with some sea salt. Serve immediately with a green salad, chips and some wood-fired red peppers.