Ah blissful ignorance. In The Matrix, Keanu Reeves discovers the world he knows is actually a construct and he's really a slave in a grim dystopian future.
In one of the most memorable scenes, Joe Pantaliano chooses to ignore his predicament and enjoy the luxuries of the fake life he's living. And what's the final factor that makes his mind up? Steak.
Given the eye-poppingly appetising cut of beef he enjoys, we can certainly empathise. To replicate this understandable moment of betrayal, we spoke to Dave Watts, head chef at the Cotswold House Hotel, for his unbeatable steak recipe.
Serves 4 - or 1 if you like A LOT of steak.
Preparation time: as long as it takes your butcher to trim and tie it.
Cooking: 1 hour 15 minutes at 65°C then finish on a hot griddle or BBQ for 3 minutes each side, resting for 5 minutes for the best results.
Equipment
Griddle pan or equivalent
Carving knife & fork
Chopping board
Oven
Ingredients
I kg (a large rib) of 28-34 day dry aged rib of beef, French trimmed
2 x pinches fine salt
2 x Tbsp Cotswold gold rapeseed oil or your favourite equivalent
To finish after cooking and carving
A good grind of fresh black pepper
Good quality flaked sea salt (as much as you wish)
Method
Take your rib of beef, season with the salt and rub the oil over its surface. Cover and leave out of the fridge for around 30 minutes for it to come up to room temperature.
Pre heat your oven and your griddle pan. Place the hunk of meat into the hot griddle pan and sear on both sides for 4 minutes, transfer it to an oven tray and put into the oven. Cook the steak for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 65°C, or if your oven doesn’t go as low as this, 80°C for 45 minutes will give you a similar medium rare result.
Once cooked remove the steak and sear again in a very hot griddle pan for 3 minutes each side this time. Then leave to rest, carve and season to taste with flaked sea salt and black pepper.
I like to serve this with a peppery watercress salad... enjoy...
Dave Watts is head chef at the Cotswold House Hotel. Rooms start from just £120 per person, with main courses at The Cotswold Grill ranging from £9.50 to £23.00. The Dining Room (fine dining restaurant) reopened in May. For further information, hotel and restaurant reservations, visit www.cotswoldhouse.com or call 01386 840330.
(Images: YouTube)
