The Perfect Fire Bowl Barbecued Steak

There's nothing better than a steak dinner accompanied by a glass of red wine. But this côte de bœuf steak recipe is extra special, as it's barbecued on the embers of a hot open fire. Make sure you visit your local butcher and pick up some ethically-sourced, grass-fed British beef - it'll taste amazing!

10 minutes prep, 30 minutes cook

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 côte de bœuf steaks

1 shallot

Knob of butter

Splash of brandy

Black peppercorns, crushed (to taste) Splash of double cream

Salad of your choice

Method

First, visit your local farm shop and order the côte de bœuf steaks. These are trimmed rib-eye steaks on the bone, each about 50mm thick. This is the best cut as it well marbled, tender and flavoursome.

About an hour and half before you want to eat, light your fire bowl. Stack it with as many dry logs as possible. If you don’t have a fire bowl, you can remove a circle of turf from your lawn, about 60cm in diameter. Dig out about 100mm of soil and make a small bank around the edge. Light your fire in the pit you have just made. Replace the turf the next day and water it well. You could also light a fire in your barbecue drum.

At the same time, take your steak out of the fridge so it can warm up to room temperature. During this time you can also make your peppercorn sauce. Finely dice the shallot and fry gently in butter. Add the brandy, crushed peppercorns and double cream. Thicken the sauce over the heat then set aside. Preheat your normal oven to 150°c.

Prepare the salads of your choice. You could use locally grown new potatoes garnished with chives and a little mayo alongside a green salad that normally includes coriander and tomatoes from the garden. But a baby leaf salad or a Waldorf salad will do the job equally well.

When your fire bowl is well lit, after about an hour, knock down the logs so that you have a good 50 to 75mm of glowing hot embers. Simply place the steaks straight on to the embers and cook them for 4 minutes per side. After the steaks are cooked (you might need to clean off the embers) place them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place a few more logs on the fire so you have a focal point for the rest of the evening.

Remove the steaks from the oven and allow them to rest for a couple of minutes. Then just carve off slices of succulent steak and enjoy with your salads, peppercorn sauce and a glass of red wine.