Kashmiri crusted côte de boeuf

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

A few hours before, make the Kashmiri spice rub. Toast the cumin, coriander, fennel and cardamom seeds, peppercorns and whole chillies in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until they smell toasty and the cumin seeds are a deep brown.

Tip them into a pestle and mortar or spice grinder with a good pinch of sea salt flakes and coarsely grind. You may need to tip out the seeds and give the chillies a grind on their own to get them down to flakes. Add the ground spices to the mixture and stir everything together.

Drizzle the beef with a little oil and rub it all over, then sprinkle the spice mix all over the joint, including the thick edges, making sure it is fully covered. Put it in a dish, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, allowing time to get it back up to room temperature before cooking.

Meanwhile, make the smoked anchovy butter by mixing the anchovies into the softened butter in a small bowl. Scoop it on to a sheet of greaseproof paper in a line and roll up, shaping it into a neat sausage as you go. Twist the ends to seal and put in the fridge to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7. Put an ovenproof griddle pan over a high heat. Once very hot, add the beef and sear for around 3 minutes on each side, plus another 1 minute or so on the edge to crisp up the fat, until it is caramelising and starting to char. Transfer the griddle to the oven and cook for another 16 minutes.

Remove the beef from the heavy pan straightaway to stop it cooking and let it rest on a board. Slice the butter into discs and allow them to melt over the hot beef to serve.