Country Fried Bone-In Ribeye Steak

1. BUTCHER AND SEASON THE RIBEYE
Remove the ribeye from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Using a sharp boning or frenching knife, remove the spinalis (the outer cap of the ribeye, separated from the eye by a line of fat and connective tissue) — reserve this for the gravy. French the exposed rib bone by scraping it clean of meat and fat for a clean presentation handle. Pound the trimmed steak between sheets of cling film to an even thickness of about ¾ inch / 2 cm — this ensures even cooking and allows the breading to adhere. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

2. MAKE THE CRISPY PEPPERONI CRUMBLE
Spread the additional pepperoni cup slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 10–12 minutes until completely crispy and darkened. Alternatively, pan-fry in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing with a spatula, until fully rendered and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, then roughly crumble. Reserve for garnish.

3. GRIND AND RENDER THE GRAVY BASE
Feed the trimmed spinalis and the first batch of pepperoni cups through the meat grinder on a medium die. In a wide saucepan or cast iron skillet, render the ground mixture over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fat has rendered and the meat is deeply browned. Add the butter and let it melt into the rendered fat, then scatter over the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to make a roux. Gradually add the warm beef stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until thick and glossy. Finish with milk or cream. Season with black pepper. Keep warm.

4. BREAD THE RIBEYE
Set up three shallow dishes: (1) seasoned flour mixed with cayenne; (2) beaten eggs; (3) seasoned flour mixed with panko. Dredge the steak in the flour, shake off excess, dip in the egg wash, then press firmly into the flour-panko mix on both sides, ensuring an even coat with no bare patches. Set on a rack for 5 minutes to allow the coating to set.

5. FRY THE RIBEYE
Heat the oil to 340°F / 170°C in a wide, deep cast iron skillet. Carefully lower the breaded ribeye in. Fry for 3–3.5 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium. Use a probe thermometer and pull the steak at 125°F / 52°C internal, allowing it to carry over to 130°F / 54°C on the rack. Rest for 5 minutes before plating.

6. PREPARE THE ESCAROLE
Outer leaves (grilled): Separate the tough outer escarole leaves, brush with olive oil, and season with salt. Grill over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until charred, wilted, and bitter. Allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop and dress with a splash of rice wine vinegar.
Inner leaves (raw): Pick the tender pale-yellow inner leaves. Dress with the remaining rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, kimchi and its juice, sliced Fresno chillies, and fresh chives. Toss gently.

7. PLATE
Spoon a generous pool of spinalis-pepperoni gravy onto the plate. Lean the fried bone-in ribeye against the gravy or place it atop so the frenched bone stands upright. Arrange the grilled escarole alongside. Place a small mound of the raw kimchi-dressed escarole salad with the Fresno chillies visible on top. Finish with a generous scatter of crispy pepperoni cup crumble directly over the steak and gravy. Scatter sliced chives.