Steak or lamb with Brown Marrow Butter and Chimichurri, Roasted Thyme Potatoes with Black Garlic, Grilled Carrots with Basil-Dill Crème Fraîche, and Roasted Romanesco with Pepita Pesto
Yield: 4-6 servings · Active: 1 hr · Total: 1 hr 45 min (plus 2-24 hours to dry brine the steak) · Year-round · Best eaten: Sunday supper, dinner party, or celebration
Complete Menu
Grass-Fed Ribeye (or Lamb Chops) with Brown Marrow Butter and Chimichurri
Roasted Thyme Potatoes with Black Garlic Butter
Grilled Carrots with Basil-Dill Crème Fraîche
Roasted Romanesco with Pepita Pesto
Your Game Plan
Four dishes, one oven, one skillet. Here's how to bring it all to the table hot at the same time.
The day before (or at least 2 hours ahead): Salt the steaks and pop them in the fridge.
About 1 hr 45 min out: Make the chimichurri, black garlic butter, basil-dill crème fraîche, and pepita pesto. They all hold beautifully. Pull the steaks from the fridge about 45 minutes before searing.
About 1 hr out: Heat the oven to 425°F. The potatoes and romanesco go in on separate sheet pans (add the carrots too if you're roasting instead of grilling). Rotate the pans halfway through. Slide the marrow bones in for the last 20 minutes.
About 20 min out: Grill the carrots and sear the steaks.
While the steaks rest: Give the potatoes a final blast if they need it, brown the butter for the marrow butter, and plate everything up.
Grass-Fed Ribeye
Ingredients
2 grass-fed ribeye steaks (about 1½-2 lb each, 1½ inches thick, bone-in)
OR 8 pasture-raised lamb chops (about 2½-3 lb total)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or beef tallow, which handles high heat even better)
2 tbsp pastured butter
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Dry brine (2-24 hours ahead). Pat the steaks dry and rub them all over with the salt. Set them on a plate or rack and refrigerate uncovered. The cold fridge air dries out the surface, and a dry surface is the secret to a gorgeous crust.
Take the chill off. Pull the steaks out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking.
Season. Rub them with olive oil and pepper.
Sear. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Lay the steaks in and leave them alone for 3-4 minutes per side so a deep crust can form. Lamb chops need only 2-3 minutes per side.
Butter-baste. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter, rosemary, thyme, and smashed garlic. Tilt the pan toward you and spoon the melted butter over the steaks again and again for 2-3 minutes.
Check the temperature. Slip an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part: 125°F (rare), 130°F (medium-rare), 135°F (medium). Lamb chops are lovely at 130°F. If your steaks are thick and not there yet, slide the whole skillet into the 425°F oven for a few minutes and check again.
Rest. Let them sit 10 minutes, loosely tented with parchment, then slice against the grain.
Brown Marrow Butter
Ingredients
4 grass-fed beef marrow bones (about 4 inches long, split lengthwise; ask your butcher to split them for you)
6 tbsp pastured butter
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Method
Roast the marrow bones. Heat the oven to 425°F. Lay the split marrow bones on a sheet pan, marrow-side up, and roast for 15-20 minutes until the marrow is bubbling and just starting to caramelize.
Scoop the marrow. Once the bones are cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to scoop out the warm marrow.
Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and keep swirling for 3-5 minutes, until it smells nutty and the little bits at the bottom turn deep golden-brown. Keep an eye on it at the end, because brown butter turns into burnt butter fast.
Combine. Whisk the marrow into the brown butter until it melts in. Add the grated garlic, parsley, and salt and give it one more whisk.
Serve warm: spoon it generously over the sliced steak and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.
Chimichurri
Ingredients
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed and finely chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 shallot, finely minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp raw red wine vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Optional extra herbs: up to 1 cup more fresh parsley and/or ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
Method
Combine. In a bowl, stir together the chopped parsley, oregano, minced garlic, and shallot (plus any extra herbs).
Add the liquids. Whisk in the olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Rest. Let it sit 20-30 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Make this one first and it'll be ready and waiting when the steak is.
Roasted Thyme Potatoes with Black Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 lb baby Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, halved
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Black garlic butter:
8 tbsp pastured butter, softened
6-8 cloves black garlic (fermented aged garlic: deeply sweet, umami, molasses-like)
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Method
Roast the potatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper, and spread them cut-side down on a sheet pan. Roast for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and crispy. If they need a little more color, crank the oven to 475°F or give them a 5-minute broil at the end (stay close, they go fast).
Make the black garlic butter. Mash the black garlic cloves with a fork in a small bowl, then mix in the softened butter, parsley, thyme, and salt.
Toss. Tip the hot potatoes into a warm serving bowl. Add generous dollops of black garlic butter and toss until it melts all over them. Finish with flaky sea salt. Any extra butter keeps in the fridge for about a week.
Grilled Carrots with Basil-Dill Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
Carrots:
1½ lb rainbow or heirloom carrots, halved lengthwise (or left whole if small)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp raw honey
Flaky sea salt and extra herbs, to finish
Basil-dill crème fraîche:
¾ cup crème fraîche (Vermont Creamery, Bellwether Farms)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Grill the carrots. Toss the carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning now and then, until deeply charred and tender. Brush on the raw honey during the last 2-3 minutes so it caramelizes without burning. No grill? Roast them at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, then crank the oven to 475°F for a final few minutes of crispy edges (add the honey then, too).
Make the crème fraîche. Whisk together the crème fraîche, basil, dill, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Plate. Arrange the carrots on a warm platter. Spoon dollops of basil-dill crème fraîche alongside rather than over the top, so you keep all that beautiful char. Finish with extra herbs and flaky sea salt.
Roasted Romanesco with Pepita Pesto
Ingredients
Romanesco:
1 large head romanesco, cut into florets (about 4-5 cups)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Pepita pesto:
1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted (save a small handful for the top)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed
3 garlic cloves
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving (or nutritional yeast for dairy-free)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Method
Roast the romanesco. Toss the florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, tossing once, until deeply golden and tender. Depending on how your oven holds heat, it may take closer to 45 minutes, so trust your eyes over the timer.
Toast the pepitas. Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and lightly golden (you'll hear a few start to pop). Let them cool.
Make the pesto. In a food processor, pulse the toasted pepitas, basil, parsley, garlic, and Parmigiano. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and blend to a rustic pesto (some texture is honestly beautiful).
Plate. Arrange the romanesco on a warm platter. Spoon the pepita pesto generously alongside or over the top. Finish with the reserved toasted pepitas and a little extra Parmigiano.
Sourcing
Grass-fed ribeye or lamb chops — Alderspring Ranch, White Oak Pastures, US Wellness Meats, ButcherBox, or local grass-fed producers
Grass-fed beef marrow bones — from a butcher, farmers' market, or grass-fed meat program
Fresh romanesco, carrots — organic, peak season
Baby Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes — organic
Black garlic — aged garlic (jet-black cloves, sweet-molasses flavor). Easy to find at specialty grocers, Trader Joe's, or online (Black Garlic North America, The Black Garlic Farm)
Crème fraîche — Vermont Creamery, Bellwether Farms, or Kalona SuperNatural
Raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) — organic, single-ingredient
Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP — 24+ months aged, freshly grated
Fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, dill) — organic
Pastured/grass-fed butter — Kerrygold, Vermont Creamery
Raw red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar — with the mother
Beef tallow (optional, for searing) — grass-fed, from your butcher or meat program
Baja Gold sea salt
Single-estate extra virgin olive oil
Nourishment Notes
Grass-fed ribeye — heme iron, B12, zinc, CLA, complete protein, glutathione precursors, creatine.
Grass-fed lamb chops (alternate) — heme iron, B12, zinc, CLA, complete protein.
Grass-fed beef marrow — concentrated fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K2), CLA, stem cell nutrition, glycine, traditional deep restoration.
Chimichurri — parsley's apigenin and vitamin K, oregano's carvacrol, garlic's allicin, Mediterranean herbal support.
Baby potatoes — potassium, vitamin C, resistant starch, gentle grounding energy.
Black garlic — S-allyl cysteine (SAC), the stable, well-absorbed compound that forms as allicin transforms during aging; aging-derived antioxidants, sweet umami depth. Traditional across Korean and Japanese medicine.
Rainbow carrots — beta-carotene (orange), anthocyanins (purple), lutein (yellow), full-spectrum carotenoids.
Crème fraîche — cultured probiotic dairy, K2, CLA.
Fresh dill and basil — anethole (dill), eugenol (basil), full-spectrum aromatic oils.
Romanesco — sulforaphane, vitamin K, folate, fractal beauty.
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) — zinc (essential for immunity, hormone production, and skin health), magnesium, iron, tryptophan.
Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP — concentrated calcium, K2, complete protein, traditional aging.
Grass-fed butter — CLA, K2, butyrate, beta-carotene.
Beef tallow (optional) — stable saturated fat for high-heat searing, fat-soluble vitamins, CLA.
Extra virgin olive oil — oleic acid, hydroxytyrosol, polyphenols.
Raw honey — trace minerals and antimicrobial enzymes.
Raw vinegar — acetic acid, live cultures.
Baja Gold sea salt — over 90 trace minerals.
— Anna aka Food Marshall