This spectacular roast ribeye is a spin on beggar’s chicken, a classic Chinese dish that was traditionally wrapped in lotus leaves and baked in clay. “The story goes that a beggar stole a chicken and hid it by burying it underground,” says chef Brandon Jew from San Francisco’s Mr Jiu’s. “When he came back it was a juicy, juicy chicken.”

A salt crust performs the same function as clay: slowing down the cooking, sealing in moisture and gently imparting salinity and flavour, almost like an infusion. “The juices have nowhere to go,” says Brandon. “The dish keeps basting itself.”

The ribeye is seasoned with nori before wrapping and baking, and the egg white casing is flavoured with lemongrass tea. “We’re mixing land and sea elements, layering umami, using the Chinese philosophy of building exciting flavour on the palate,” says Brandon.

Fermented tea and blackened scallions are added after carving, bringing bitterness that contracts with the rich meat. “We experience the quality of the fat because the ribeye isn’t caramelised, the fat isn’t rendered,” says Brandon. “You can really taste how velvety it is. To me, it’s about accentuating textures as well as building flavours.”