Chef critique
Ribeye au Poivre with Green Beans
A clearly written recipe with excellent concurrent timing and proper ingredient formatting, but it is held back by a steak target temperature that will result in overcooked meat and seasoning amounts that do not match the dish's 'au poivre' title or recommended salt ratios.
Score: 7/10
Suggested fixes
- Lower the target temperature in the basting step to 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium-rare finish, or 135 degrees Fahrenheit for medium.
- Increase the coarsely cracked black pepper to 1 tablespoon and instruct the cook to firmly press the pepper into the meat.
- Increase the kosher salt used on the steak to 1.5 teaspoons to align with the 1.5 percent bone-in meat guideline, adjusting the total recipe salt to 2 teaspoons.
Issues
- high / cookability: Pulling a steak at 145 degrees Fahrenheit before an 8-minute rest will result in medium-well to well-done meat due to carryover cooking, which is generally undesirable for a premium ribeye.
- medium / flavor: 1 teaspoon of black pepper for a 1.25-pound steak acts as a standard seasoning but is insufficient for a dish named 'au poivre', which traditionally relies on a thick, pronounced peppercorn crust.
- medium / flavor: 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for 1.25 pounds of bone-in steak falls short of the 1.5 percent salinity guideline by weight, leaving the thick cut underseasoned.
Strengths
- Efficient use of concurrent timing by cooking the green beans and making the pan sauce while the steak rests.
- Every ingredient mention in the instructions includes the exact amount, tracking perfectly with the ingredients list.
- Uses a solid, classic technique for building a Cognac pan sauce.