It came as a bit of a shock when mom declared she wanted a steak for her Mother's Day dinner as she does not eat a ton of red meat these days. I was ALL over it when she told me . . . we've not had much red meat either! Now that grilling weather is finally upon us there is nothing like a nice steak on the BBQ. I had some great steaks in the freezer so they were thawed out and bam - we had a wonderful main course!
The stout flavor and aroma of blue cheese have always been a steakhouse staple as a salad dressing. But in recent years the blue cheese has moved from the iceberg to the red meat. This recipe gives you the basis for making compound butters, which are nothing more than butter blended with flavoring agents to add another dimension to your food. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, you can totally leave it out, or use rosemary, thyme, or an even stronger cheese if you desire. Some recipes for compound butter insist that you form it into a log. Do so if you wish, but spooning it into a container works just as well.
Now what does blue cheese butter do for a New York strip steak?
Ultimate steak nirvana.
Grilled Beef Strip Loin with Blue Cheese Butter
3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp (7 mL) chopped fresh thyme
1 small clove garlic, minced
Pinch EACH salt and pepper
2 Beef Strip Loin Grilling Steaks, about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick
¼ cup (50 mL) unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (50 mL) crumbled Stilton blue cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped walnuts
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh Italian parsley
Whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in large shallow dish. Add steaks and turn to coat evenly. Let stand for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
In a bowl, mash together the unsalted butter, Stilton blue cheese, walnuts and Italian parsley until well combined. Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap and using plastic wrap as a guide, roll into a log-shape, about 5-inches (12.5 cm) long. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill steaks on a lightly oiled grill over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, turning at least twice, for medium-rare doneness 145°F(63°C). Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Cut steaks in half crosswise and remove to plate. Top each with a slice of Blue Cheese Butter. Let flavoured butter melt slightly for about 1 minute before serving. Refrigerate any unused Blue Cheese Butter for another use.
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