Dry-Aged Rib-Eye with Herb Butter and Roasted Garlic

Time: 35 minutes  |  Difficulty: Medium

Season: Autumn · Winter · Serves: 1 · Diet: Meat · Prep: 10 min + 1 hr rest · Cook: 15 min

A rib-eye on a carbon steel pan is one of the great short arguments for owning the right cookware. No other home cooking method produces a crust of the same quality — deeply caramelized, with a juicy pink interior. This recipe keeps everything else out of the way.

Ingredients

• 1 rib-eye steak, 2.5–3cm thick, ideally dry-aged
• Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or avocado)
• 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and unpeeled

For the herb butter (make ahead):

• 60g (4 tbsp) softened unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• Pinch of salt

For the roasted garlic (optional):

• 1 whole head garlic, top 1cm sliced off
• 1 tbsp olive oil, salt

Method

1. Make the herb butter: combine all ingredients, roll in cling film into a log, and refrigerate until needed. If roasting garlic, wrap in foil with olive oil and salt and roast at 180°C (350°F) for 40–45 minutes until completely soft.

2. Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking. Pat completely dry. Season very generously with flaky salt and pepper on all sides, including the fat cap. Let it rest on a rack.

3. Heat your pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then increase to medium-high. The pan should be very hot — a drop of water should evaporate almost instantly.

4. Add the oil. When it shimmers and just begins to smoke, lay the steak in the pan away from you. It will sear loudly. Do not move it.

5. For a 2.5cm steak, cook 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare, flipping once. Hold the steak on its fat cap using tongs and sear until the fat is deeply rendered and golden, about 1 minute.

6. In the final 60 seconds, add the butter, thyme, and crushed garlic to the pan. As the butter foams, tilt the pan and spoon it continuously over the steak.

7. Transfer to a rack and rest for a minimum of 5 minutes. This step is not optional — it's where the juices redistribute.

8. Serve with a slice of herb butter melting over the top, roasted garlic on the side.

Julien Tip

The two most common reasons for a mediocre sear are a wet steak and an insufficiently hot pan. Both are preventable. Dry the steak thoroughly, bring it to room temperature, and let the pan reach full heat before the oil goes in.

Serves: 1 (entire recipe is 1 serving)

Values are estimates. A well-marbled rib-eye is naturally rich — fat content varies with cut thickness and grade.

Good source of: Protein, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin B12, Selenium.

Watch out for: Saturated Fat (33g per serving — from rib-eye marbling, butter basting, and herb butter). +55 cal with roasted garlic (whole head, if using).