Serves 8
The sublime combination of black pepper, Roquefort cheese and balsamic vinegar will have your guest’s exclaiming, “I love the holidays!” Create a trendy station at your next party with steak au poivre topped with bleu cheese and balsamic syrup, or add the radicchio and whippers for a truly awesome menu item!
Steak Au Poivre
Ingredients
- 8 Each 10 ounce Top Sirloin steaks
- 10 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil, divided use
- ¼ Cup Cracked black pepper, preferably Tellicherry from India
- Salt to taste
- 8 Ounces of good quality unsalted butter
- 5 Each Garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 Each Shallot, rough chop
- 10 Each Thyme sprigs
Method
- Rub the steaks with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Salt both sides of each steak. Rub one side of each steak with 1/8 of the peppercorns. Leave the meat at room temperature for one hour.
- Place a large, big enough to hold 4 steaks, cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium high heat. Add half of the remaining olive oil and half of the butter. When the butter melts and is bubbling, place 4 steaks, pepper side down in the oil. Add the garlic, shallot and thyme sprigs to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Use a tablespoon to baste the steaks during this time. You may need to tilt the pan to get enough liquid to baste. Be careful, you do not want the oil in the pan to contact the heat source. Move the pan away from the heat source when basting.
- Turn the steaks, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook and baste for 2-3 minutes more for medium rare.
- Reserve steaks loosely covered with foil and repeat the process with the remaining steaks. Allow the second batch of steaks to rest before serving.
- Pop steaks in a 400°oven to cook past medium rare if needed.
- Stir any remaining juices from the steaks, up to 3 tablespoons, into the balsamic syrup.
Balsamic Vinegar Syrup
(This can be made ahead)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Balsamic vinegar, good quality
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Each Shallot, small, minced
- 4 Each Garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh basil, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh thyme, chopped
Method
- Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the vinegar to a boil then immediately reduce to a simmer.
- Reduce this mixture until the bubbles get about the size of small peas and the mixture will coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. You should have about 2/3 cup left.
- Stir in up to 3 tablespoons of reserved juices from the steaks.
- Strain and cool the syrup in the refrigerator.
Grilled Radicchio
Ingredients
- 2 Each Radicchio, quartered, through the stem, leave stem attached to hold together during preparation and cooking
- Ice water bath
- 1/3 Cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method
- Completely submerge cut radicchio in ice water for an hour to reduce bitterness. Remove from water bath and dry well on paper towels
- Combine oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Whip in the vinegar to make vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
- Marinate radicchio in the vinaigrette for an hour.
- Heat grill to medium. Set on grill until softened, about 5 minutes, turning once. Watch for flare ups.
- Serve immediately.
Roquefort Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 Quarts Chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Heavy cream, room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces Roquefort or your favorite bleu cheese
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh lemon juice, this will brighten the flavor of the potatoes
- 8 Each Parsley sprigs for garnish
Method
- Peel and quarter the potatoes lengthwise, then cut into 1”chunks.
- Place the potatoes in a heavy medium saucepan with the teaspoon of salt and add enough cold stock to cover by 1”. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 25 minutes.
- Drain in a colander. Return the potatoes to the saucepan with the heat on medium low.
- Add the cream, butter, salt and the pepper, mash and stir the mixture until well blended. Mix in the blue cheese and parsley and mash to incorporate.
- Remove from the heat, cover and reserve in a warm place.
Center of the Plate Plating Technique
- With a dinner plate in front of you, visualize it as a clock face. 12 is at the top, 6 at the bottom etc. Also, visualize a point at the very center of the plate.
- Place 1/8 of the potatoes almost touching the center with the remainder in the 9-12 quadrant.
- Place the radicchio wedge, stem end almost touching the center with the tip pointing at 2 o’clock.
- Pat dry any juices from the bottom of the steak and lean it up against the potatoes and radicchio in the 3-9 half of the plate.
- When you are done, you should have an equal distance from the edge of the food to the edge of the plate all the way around. Everything emanating from the center.
- Drizzle some balsamic syrup over the steak, radicchio and exposed plate.
- Place the parsley sprig in the center of the plate as if it were growing from there.
Enjoy!
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