Sarah Grueneberg's Grilled Pimenton-Spiced Cowboy Wagyu Ribeye with Charred Ramps and Feta
Chef Sarah Grueneberg
Chef Sarah Grueneberg
Sarah Grueneberg grew up in Texas where she spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ cattle farm, eating food from scratch and building up an understanding of the sourcing of ingredients. Four years at legendary Chicago restaurant Spiaggia got her interested in Italian food and she made her first of many trips to Italy in 2009. At her own pasta-focused Italian restaurant, Monteverde, she is deeply inspired by regional Italian food rendered with signature Sarah Grueneberg creativity and flair.
This thick-cut bone-in ribeye evokes memories of my Texas upbringing; cooking meats over slow fire, grilling steaks and that smell of BBQ wafting through the air. Oof! I can taste it now.
The recipe brings together both the grill and a barbecue-style rub. The rub is inspired by one of my favourite ingredients, the smoky Spanish pimenton, which will add a smoke and depth to the grilled meats, even if it's cooked on a gas grill. This is a wet rub that doubles as a marinade: it’s dry enough to stick to the meat yet wet enough to create a layer around the meat. This marinade locks in and enhances the rich flavour of the ribeye. Don't be scared of a little bit of char on the steak: that's flavour goodness right there!
Ramps are cooked down and added to the spices to create this rub. Ramps are wild leeks that grow in the springtime but if you can’t find them feel free to substitute scallions or leeks.
Ingredients
Spice Rub
Spice Rub
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp fennel seed
2 cloves
1 tbsp black pepper
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches ramps or scallions (about 280g / 10 oz)
3 tbsp Aleppo pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 tbsp Pimenton de la Vera (smoked paprika)
To Serve
To Serve
1 Westholme cowboy ribeye
coarse sea salt
4-5 whole ramps, scallions or 1 large leek (if using leeks, green part removed, washed and cut lengthwise)
115g (4 oz) sheep’s milk feta, lightly crumbled
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped
30g (1 oz) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
15g (½ oz) aged sherry vinegar
1 tbsp honey
small handful flatleaf parsley leaves
few pinches Pimenton de la Vera, for garnish
Method
Spice Rub
In a small skillet, over medium heat, toast the coriander, fennel, cloves and black pepper for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove to a spice grinder or a heavy mortar and pestle. Grind the spices to a fine powder.
Place the skillet back over low heat, add the olive oil and ramps or scallions. Sweat until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and use the pestle to smash the ramps into a paste with the spices.
Add Aleppo pepper, brown sugar, salt and pimenton. Continue to mash into a thick spice rub. Remove from the mortar and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Serve
Using gloves, rub each Cowboy Ribeye with about 30g (1 oz) of the spice mixture, massaging it in and being sure to evenly spread it around the fat side of the ribeye. Let it marinate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
Lightly season the ribeye with coarse sea salt. Preheat grill over high heat. Place marinated ribeye directly over the hot grates. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes or so, rotating the steak halfway to create nice even cross-hatched grill marks. Flip the ribeye and repeat.
As the ribeye is grilling, place the ramps or leeks on the grill, cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred and softened. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Check the temperature of the ribeye or feel for your desired doneness. I recommend cooking the ribeye medium-rare to medium for best results. Remove the steak around 52-54C / 125-130F to allow the temperature to carry over. Rest the ribeye in a warm place for 5 minutes before serving.
Transfer grilled ramps to a cutting board. Cut them into 2.5-5cm / 1-2 in pieces. Place in a small mixing bowl and combine ramps with feta, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, honey and a few pinches of salt.
Present the ribeye either whole or sliced, top with the charred ramp and feta mixture. Garnish with the parsley leaves, a bit more oil if desired and a few pinches of pimenton.
"The recipe brings together both the grill and a barbecue-style rub. The rub is inspired by one of my favourite ingredients, the smoky Spanish pimenton, which will add a smoke and depth to the grilled meats, even if it's cooked on a gas grill."
