Grilling · · By Ashley
Will Murray and Jack Croft at Fallow taught me that a great steak is mostly about temperature, and that the right temperature depends on the cut.
Where the time goes
Fallow is Will Murray and Jack Croft's restaurant in London, and a lot of what I know about cooking meat I learned watching them. They cook with real precision and real curiosity, and they explain the why behind every step. That changed how I cook. I stopped following recipes and started understanding food, and it pushed me to cook food I am genuinely proud of.
This ribeye is built on their approach. A ribeye carries a lot of intramuscular fat and several different muscles, so the target here is medium, 129 to 133°F / 54 to 56°C. That range is what it takes for the marbling to render and melt into the meat. Pull it rarer and the fat stays waxy.
Low and slow to bring it up, a hard sear to finish, and pull it the moment it hits temperature.
The part that is mine is the butter: garlic, rosemary and thyme mashed into a cold log, sliced into coins, and melted over the steak while it rests. There are two ways to cook it below, one on a two-zone grill and one in the oven and a cast iron pan.
Serves 1 to 2
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Mash the softened butter, garlic, salt, rosemary and thyme together with a fork until the herbs are evenly spread through the butter.
Spoon it onto plastic wrap, roll it into a tight log about 1½ inches thick, and twist the ends.
Chill for 1 hour to firm up while you prep the steak.
The log keeps in the fridge for about a week. It is good on everything.
Dry brine
Pat the steak completely dry and season it heavily with kosher salt on every side. Set it on a wire rack, uncovered, in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours.
The longer it sits, the drier the surface and the better the crust.
Set up two zones
Set the grill up with low indirect heat on one side and a roaring direct fire on the other. Bring the grill to 225 to 250°F.
Cook it low
Put the steak on the cool, indirect side with a probe thermometer in the thickest part.
The pull
When the center reaches 115 to 120°F, take the steak off and tent it loosely with foil while you build the fire up.
The sear
Get the grill as hot as it will go, 550°F or more. Coat the steak in cracked black pepper.
Sear directly over the flames for 45 to 60 seconds a side, flipping often so the crust builds without the center overcooking. Pull it the moment it reads 129 to 133°F / 54 to 56°C.
Butter and rest
Move it to a plate, lay a thick slice of the cold herb butter on top, and rest for 4 minutes while the butter melts into a glaze. Slice and serve.
Dry brine
Dry the steak thoroughly, season it heavily with kosher salt on all sides, and set it on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Cook it low
Bake at 225°F / 110°C until a probe reads 115 to 120°F, roughly 30 to 40 minutes. Take it out.
Heat the pan
Season the warm steak with cracked black pepper. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet on high for 5 minutes until it smokes, then add the oil.
The sear
Sear for 1 minute per side, flipping every 30 seconds. Then hold the steak on its edge with tongs for 30 seconds to crisp the fat cap.
Baste
For the last 30 seconds, drop 2 tbsp of the herb butter into the pan. As it foams, tilt the pan and spoon it over the steak again and again. Pull the steak the moment it reads 129 to 133°F / 54 to 56°C.
Butter and rest
Move it to a board, top with one more cold coin of the butter, and rest for 3 minutes while it melts over the crust. Slice against the grain and serve.
Ingredients · 1 hr · Serves 1 to 2
The steak
The garlic herb butter
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I send a new recipe most weeks, plus whatever went sideways in the kitchen that week.