Someone popped in for a chop...

The French call it “Cote de Boef”, The Spanish call it “Chuleton” We don’t really have a name for it other than a “chop” but I suppose this makes it clear as to what it is.

Essentially, we are talking about the beef equivalent of a lamb or pork chop, which can be a cross cut through the loin or rib section of the animal - in this case the forerib (actually taken from the first five ribs) and therefore a massive rib eye steak on the bone - plenty for two people wanting to tuck in to a bit of serious beef, ie, for a couple of friends who popped by and wanted something special.

There’s only a limited amount of these that I can do per animal as most of the rib joints tend to be reserved for roasting early on, but if you fancy one, just drop me a line and I’ll try and sort it.

By the way, if you look closely at these pictures, you can see the great marbling I've been banging on about, plus the dark colour of the meat brought about by the ageing process!

To cook, it couldn’t be easier. First though, get it out of the fridge a couple of hours before you start – this gets it close to room temperature and means the meat doesn’t contract so much when it hits the pan which can give you a tougher end result. You then just season the chop liberally with salt and a few twists of pepper, sear it in a nearly smoking hot frying pan with a drizzle of oil for 3-4 minutes each side until browned (remembering to push the edge of fat down on the pan as well - all the way round, in order to brown and crisp it) and then ideally put it on a rack in an oven tray and slow roast it at about 110 degrees C for about 45 mins to an hour if you want it medium rare. Whatever you do, let it rest for at least 10 minutes when you take it out (cover it in foil if you like). This really makes a difference and is not just a poncy chef’s myth, it actually works and the meat will be far more tender and succulent than trying to eat it straight from the oven.