Côte à l'os (Bone-in Entrecôte)

What is a côte à l’os?

You’ve probably heard of a cote de boeuf, but have you ever heard of a côte à l’os? Although they are very similar, both being bone-in steaks, there is a significant difference between the two cuts. The côte à l’os is cut from the sixrib, named after the six ribs it is attached to. You can find the sixrib, literally from the sixth rib in the loin section, back on the back of the cow. As soon as the butcher cuts a nice steak from the sixrib with the bone attached, you get a côte à l’os. If you remove the bone, it’s called a sixrib entrecote.

Although the entrecote from the sixrib is not the most beautiful entrecote to look at, it is the most flavorful entrecote of the cow. This is because the structure of the steak is a bit looser, which ensures that the steak is tender, full of flavor, and nicely marbled. Be sure to prepare the côte à l’os with the bone and the fat edge, as this provides the extra intense flavor.

We offer côte à l’os from various meat breeds in our assortment. How about a dry aged côte à l’os from the Italian Romagnola or from the Portuguese Black Angus cow? Prefer to order a côte à l’os closer to home? Then the dry aged côte à l’os from Holstein might be a great option.

What is the difference between a cote de boeuf and a côte à l’os?

The cote de boeuf and the côte à l’os are both cut from the rib with the bone still attached. The main difference between the two steaks is that with the cote de boeuf, you get a ribeye with bone, and with the côte à l’os, you have an entrecote with bone. Whether you should choose a cote de boeuf or a côte à l’os primarily depends on your own preferences. Do you prefer a leaner steak? Then you should definitely try the côte à l’os. Love marbled steaks? Then choose one of our cote de boeufs. Are you dining with several people? Then you can also opt for a combination of these two, giving you a kind of steak tasting.

How do you cook a côte à l’os?

How you cook a côte à l’os depends on the technique you will use to bring the steak to the core temperature. You can first sear the steak and then let it finish cooking, you can first let it cook and then sear it (reversed sear) or you can first cook it sous vide and then sear the côte à l’os.

How many grams of côte à l’os per person?

The amount of côte à l’os you need per person naturally depends on whether you are serving it as a main course, if you want to serve a côte to share, or if it is part of a BBQ with multiple types of meat. For a normal eater, you can estimate 300-400 grams per person if it’s a main course. This might seem like a lot, but you also need to consider that you have to discard the bone afterwards. Below you will find a complete size table. You can also find this on our product pages under 'how many grams per person'.

Côte à l’os as a main course
Normal eater: 300-400 grams
Big eater: 500-700 grams
Hardcore carnivore: 800-1200 grams

Côte à l’os to share
Normal eater: 600-800 grams
Big eater: 1200-1400 grams
Hardcore carnivore: no share

BBQ with different types of meat
Normal eater: 100 grams
Big eater: 150-200 grams
Hardcore carnivore: 250 grams

How long should a côte à l’os be on the BBQ?

How long a côte à l’os should be on the BBQ depends on how you prefer your steak and how you want to prepare it. After all, the steak needs to be on the BBQ for much less time if you pre-cook it sous vide than if you go for the reverse sear method. Are you going for reversed sear? Then account for a total cooking time of about 1 hour (excluding lighting the BBQ and letting the steak come to room temperature).

What is a good core temperature for côte à l’os?

Do you prefer a red steak or do you like it a bit more done? Since measuring is knowing, we have compiled several core temperatures to give you a good idea of when your steak is rare, medium, or well done. With a côte à l’os, we personally find a medium (rare) steak the most beautiful, but if you prefer rare or well done, be my guest!

Core final temperatures:
- Rare > 52°C
- Medium Rare > 54°C
- Medium > 57°C
- Well done > 62°C

Which wine goes with côte à l’os?

With intense flavors such as those of a grilled côte à l’os, a powerful red wine with a robust structure is always a good match. Think of fine wines from major grapes like cabernet sauvignon, syrah, tempranillo, and sangiovese. Are you serving the entrecote with a sauce? Good to know! Because you always need to adjust your wine to the sauce. For example, if you go for herb butter, choose a full-bodied wine with more suppleness. If you go for a classic béarnaise sauce, then go for a more mature wine, such as an older pauillac or a rioja reserva.

Which side dishes go with côte à l’os?

Is côte à l’os on the menu, but you’re not quite sure what to serve with it? What always works well with a good steak is (sweet potato) fries or roasted potatoes. Additionally, you could go for a fresh salad of young lettuce, garden cress, and cherry tomatoes, or grilled vegetables.

Ordering côte à l’os online

At The Butchery, ordering a côte à l’os online is very easy! Choose a côte à l’os from your favorite breed above, select the weight you need, and add it to your shopping cart. If you order before 11am, it will be in your home between 5pm and 10pm tonight! Prefer a different delivery day or daytime delivery? That’s of course possible, choose your delivery type and delivery day at checkout, and we ensure that the côte à l’os is delivered frozen to your home at the agreed time. Oh, and if you’re already going to order such a beautiful steak, it’s always nice to also order a chicken breast or a pound of mince for your daily needs. You can simply store it in your freezer at home, convenient, right? We even sell daily meat from the finest meat breeds, going beyond your local butcher.

Meat delivery online

If you order meat online from The Butchery, you can be assured that your meat arrives well (and freshly) frozen. Our butchers cut and trim the meat immediately upon arrival and ensure that it is frozen at an extremely low temperature within an hour. That low temperature ensures that the flavor, structure, and nutritional values of the meat are preserved. As soon as the meat is ordered, it is packed in an insulated bag with dry ice in a box, so that it remains frozen for at least 24 hours. Shipment delayed? No worries, our transporters have a freezer at all depots, so your order is stored frozen. This way, you receive your order frozen at home even if the courier is delayed.