Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [70]
My favorite cheese for this sauce is Roquefort, which is made from sheep’s milk. But it’s entirely a matter of taste—Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag blue, or any high-quality, fairly soft blue cheese will work equally well. Don’t bother, however, trying to make this sauce with commercially produced domestic blue cheese, such as that sold precrumbled for salads. Not only will its taste be inferior, but it will not give the sauce the same creaminess.
This is a case where the usually too-lean and mildly flavored tenderloin (filet mignon) will do just fine. Its tenderness is welcome and its blandness more than compensated for by the sauce. I’d still prefer a good strip steak or rib-eye, which are chewier and more flavorful, but you will notice their higher fat content when they’re combined with the rich sauce.
1 tablespoon butter or grapeseed, corn, or other neutral oil
¼ cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons white wine or cider Vinegar
6 ounces Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled
Good pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ to 2 pounds strip steaks, filet mignon, or rib-eye steaks
Minced fresh parsley or chives for garnish (optional)
1. Preheat a grill or broiler until quite hot and put the rack no more than 4 inches from the heat source.
2. Put the butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium; when the butter melts and its foam begins to subside, add the shallot and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, stir, and cook until it is just about evaporated, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese and the cayenne. Stir occasionally until the cheese melts, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary (the sauce probably won’t need any salt). Keep warm while you grill the steaks.
3. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper, then grill or broil them for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, longer or shorter according to your taste. Serve the steaks with a spoonful or two of sauce over each, garnished with the parsley or chives if you like.
SIRLOIN STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: ABOUT 30 MINUTES
CHIMICHURRI IS A simple Argentinean steak sauce made almost entirely from parsley, with huge amounts of chopped garlic and red pepper. In spirit, it’s not unlike pesto, but because everything is hand-chopped rather than ground or mashed, it has a bit more chew to it. And its powerful ingredients set it apart, making it the perfect complement for mild-tasting but meaty tenderloin.
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley (about 1 large bunch)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds beef tenderloin steaks, each about 1 inch thick
1. Put the parsley in a bowl and whisk in the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, hot pepper, and salt to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary; let the sauce rest at room temperature for an hour or two if you have time.
2. Put a large skillet over high heat; season the steaks with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, a minute or two later, add the steaks and cook for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, a little longer for more well done. Serve the steaks whole or slice them; serve with the chimichurri spooned over them, passing more sauce at the table.
RIB-EYE STEAK WITH ANCHOVY-RED WINE SAUCE
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 15 MINUTES
ANOTHER GREAT, SIMPLE sauce based on anchovies (there are two in the pasta chapter; see here and here). You get acidity, astringency, and fruitiness from the wine, piquancy from the garlic and anchovy, complexity from the thyme, and a smooth finish from the butter—all in about the time it takes to preheat a grill for the steaks. You don’t need great red wine for this sauce, but it should be one with a fair amount of fruit and at least a little structure.