Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 ea. 8oz. bavette steaks

Coarsely ground black pepper

Salt

1 1/2 lbs of fingerling potatoes

5 cups duck fat

2 fresh bay leaves

8 sprigs thyme

12 black peppercorns

12 cloves crushed garlic, smashed with the heel of your palm

1 lg. bunch swiss chard, ribs separated from the greens

Extra virgin olive oil

6 Tbl. shallot, finely minced

2 cups whole milk

4 oz. beef marrow, extracted from the bone, refreshed in ice water overnight

4 oz. sweet butter, softened

2 Tbl. parsley minced

Zest of one lemon

8 oz. Bordelaise (recipe listed below)

METHOD

Seasoning the Bavette: Place the bavette steaks on a platter and liberally season them with coarsely ground black pepper and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve until ready.  

Duck Fat Potatoes: Slice the fingerling potatoes in half and place in a lg. pot. Cover with the duck fat and bring to a very light simmer. The fat should barely be casting off bubbles. Add the Bay leaf, thyme, black peppercorns, crushed garlic cloves, and allow to cook for one hour, or until the potatoes are nearly cooked.

Turn the heat up to 375°F and continue cooking the potatoes until they are crispy, about 10-12 additional minutes. Draw the potatoes out of the hot fat and place in a bowl with paper towels. Salt the potatoes liberally and reserve, while you slice the steak.

Marrow Butter: Bring 2 cups of milk to a simmer. Add the 4oz. of bone marrow, and poach the marrow just until it begins to soften all the way through, about 7 minutes. It should be just warm in the center. Scrape the marrow through a tamis, and mix it with 4oz. of softened butter, zest of one lemon, two tablespoons of minced parsley, and two tablespoons minced shallots. Season with salt to taste. Roll the butter up into a uniform log the width of a silver dollar. Reserve chilled.

Braised Swiss chard: Slice the Swiss chard stems into 2” batons and blanch in salted water for 3 minutes. Meanwhile sauté the greens in a liberal coating of extra virgin olive oil, with 4 tablespoons minced shallots until they begin to wilt and soften. Fold in the blanched chard stems and season to taste with salt.

ASSEMBLY

Final Presentation: Char the steaks on a very hot to an internal temperature of 118°F for Medium Rare. Allow the steaks to rest for 15 minutes in a warm environment prior to slicing. Slice the steaks across the grain on the bias and place over sautéed Swiss chard. Surround the steak with the potatoes. Top the steak with the marrow butter, allowing it to melt over the hot steak. Spoon Bordelaise over-top, and garnish with your favorite sea salt.

Bordelaise Sauce

2 qt. blond veal stock

2 qt. red wine

1 qt. sliced shallots

1 qt. sliced carrots

2 lbs 2” cut bone marrow, refreshed in ice water

thyme

bay leaf

peppercorns

METHOD

Caramelize the shallots and carrots.  Add the red wine and reduce to a glaze. Add the blond veal stock and bring to a simmer. Skim clean.   Add the bone marrow and allow to simmer on very low heat for three hours.  Add a scant amount of thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns the last few minute of cooking.  Strain and place back over the stop. Reduce to desired consistency.