Grilled Steaks with Roquefort Topping

Good evening everybody!

I know, I know...where have I been for a week? I've been working a whole lot, to put it plainly; I'm trying to make up for lost time, after a brief (unintentional) vacation while my car was being repaired.

It took 6 days for my car to actually get fixed; the first mechanic I brought it to couldn't figure out what was wrong with it! So, I had to take it to the local Volvo dealership. They did figure out what was wrong, and after 5 more days (and about $1000), they had it fixed. (FYI: it was the Fuel Pump and the Fuel Sending Unit...apparently that's some computerized part)

But the Brick is up & running again, and that's what matters the most!

Now, down to business...

A friend of mine (she knows that I love to grill, AND that I love bleu cheese) found this recipe and sent it to me. It was originally designed for the stovetop, but I worked with it a little bit to modify it for the grill (it was the sauce that required the most modification).

The recipe was originally designed for 6- to 10-ounce NY Strip Steaks (like I can afford THOSE!), but it works wonderfully with ribeyes, porterhouse, round steak, etc. And it works equally well with whole cuts like london broil or flank steak (if the piece of meat you're using is larger than one-and-a-half pounds, you'll probably want to double the sauce recipe)

Roquefort Topping for Grilled Steak

4 (6 to 10 ounce) NY Strip steaks
1TBS garlic powder
Kosher salt
freshly-ground pepper
2 TBS unsalted butter
(up to) 1 TBS olive oil
3 TBS (1/4 cup) brandy or whiskey (I used Jim Beam Black Label, but suit yourself!)
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces Roquefort (or bleu) cheese, crumbled
about 3 TBS fresh chopped cilantro

Place steaks on a platter. Season each steak with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, liberally on all sides. 1 TBS of garlic powder ought to cover 4 steaks, but you can adjust to taste. Cover platter with plastic wrap, and keep it somewhere safe for about 30 minutes (if it's going to be longer than 30 minutes until you cook it, please keep it in the fridge!).

Prepare your grill as usual; you'll want medium-high heat for cooking steaks (or london broil or flank steak). After the grill has heated up (ashed-over coals, if you're using charcoal--which I highly recommend), place the meat onto the grill (all at once). Depending on the thickness/cut of the steak, allow anywhere from 4-8 minutes per side for cooking. Assuming you have steaks that are about 1-and-a-half inches thick, figure on 5-6 minutes per side for rare. You'll have to adjust according to your needs.

When the meat is done, remove it to a (clean) platter; cover loosely with foil, and keep it somewhere safe (like a cold oven) while you prepare the sauce.

Set your stovetop for medium heat. Allow a skillet to warm up on the stovetop, then add the butter. When the butter has melted (it may begin to sizzle slightly), add the cream. Allow the mixture to heat through, whisking frequently. Add a small amount of the olive oil---perhaps 1 teaspoon at first---to add some shine to the sauce. Be prepared to add more olive oil if necessary.

When the mixture has blended together, remove the skillet from the stovetop, then whisk in the whiskey. After about 30 seconds, when the alcohol has evaporated, it's safe to put the skillet back onto the stove.

Increase heat slightly, to medium-high. Add the crumbled Roquefort (or bleu) cheese, and whisk until the the cheese melts, and the mixture is smooth. During this time, the sauce will reduce in volume somewhat. That's good! If necessary, gradually add additional olive oil, to thin the sauce. At the VERY LAST MINUTE before serving, toss in the cilantro, and stir briefly.

Plate the steaks, and drizzle the sauce generously over each one. This recipe is designed to produce four servings of sauce, but it can be multiplied easily.

Link to Printable Version
http://209.245.59.199/Gimme/65832736/1340802149/68254774/B33581A9-CD08-40D7-9275-24ED694A5EC5/0.986175/2/steakRoque.doc


Hope you like!