Herb-Roasted Beef Rib-eye with Roasted Shallots

Ingredients

• One 2-inch-thick boneless rib-eye (1 1/2 pounds), tied with 2 pieces of twine to keep it together in a compact round shape
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 head garlic, cloves smashed
• Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Roasted Shallots:

• 8 shallots, cut in half through the root, skins left on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions
Season the steak rather liberally with kosher salt. Bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour outside of the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the paprika, cumin, mustard and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl. Season the steak with the rub.

Heat the canola oil in a saute pan over high heat until smoking. Add the steak and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add the butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and baste the steak with the butter as it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes (without burning).

Transfer the steak to a rack in a roasting pan and top with a few pieces of the herbs and garlic and 3 spoonfuls of the butter. Roast to an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Finish the sliced meat with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and a drizzle of aged balsamic and olive oil. Serve with the roasted shallots and a simple watercress salad if desired.

Roasted Shallots:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the shallots with the olive oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Lay the shallots on a baking sheet cut-side down. Roast until the shallots are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Toss the shallots with the vinegar and additional olive oil.

Great Served with either of these Sauces:
Bearnaise Sauce
Mushroom and Red Wine Steak Sauce

Source:  Geoffrey Zarkarian, The Kitchen