Grilled NY Strips with Gorgonzola Sauce

 

Becky and I are huge fans of Ina Garten. The amount of time and elaborate testing she puts into each of her recipes is amazing...almost every one she pens is a grand-slam home run! Now I have done earlier recipes with gorgonzola sauces, but her recipe is on a whole different level.

She starts with four cups of heavy cream and then spends 50 minutes reducing it before adding all the goodies. The result is a thick, luxurious sauce that is an amazing complement to a perfectly charred New York Strip.

INGREDIENTS

For the Gorgonzola Sauce

4 cups heavy cream

4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola

3 tablespoons freshly ground parmesan

3/4 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Steaks

Four, 12 to 16 ounce New York strips, 1-1/2 inches thick

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove steaks from fridge 2 hours prior to cooking and let come to room temperature.
2. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 50 minutes, until thickened like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.
3. Off the heat, add the gorgonzola, parmesan and salt and pepper. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and keep warm. 
4. Prepare your grill for a two-zone fire: direct cooking over high heat and an indirect side.
5. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Place steaks over high heat side and grill for 4 minutes (grill covered). Then flip steaks and grill for 4 minutes more (grill covered). Then move steaks to indirect side, cover grill and cook for 4 more minutes. (NOTE: The cooking times are based on using a charcoal grill with lump hardwood charcoal to yield medium-rare steaks. Your mileage may vary.)
6. Remove steaks from grill and tent with foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes. Use this time to reheat sauce if needed. If you reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.
7. Plate steaks and pour sauce over each steak. Serve.

Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon

Grilled Steak Sandwiches with Blue Cheese Sauce

Try as I might to eat steak at every meal, I cannot live on steak alone. While the human body does indeed require protein, it also realizes great benefits from carbohydrates and vegetables. So I am proud to introduce you to a marvelous sandwich that allows you to enjoy all three food groups in a single sitting.

Now just about any kind of steak will do. Flank steak would be my first choice as it is lean, grills up really fast and lends itself well to being sliced very thin. Other good steak choices would include skirt, tri-tip, sirloin, New York strip or hanger. The only steak I would not use is a rib eye. It just has too much fat and marbling for a sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

For the Blue Cheese Sauce

3/4 cup of mayonnaise

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sandwiches

1-1/2 pounds of flank steak

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

4 ciabatta sandwich rolls, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups baby arugula

1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth...about 30 seconds.
2. Prepare your grill for direct cooking over high heat.
3. Pat steak dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat about 3 minutes per side (for medium rare). Transfer steak to cutting board, tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.
4. Brush cut side of rolls with oil and grill, cut side down, until lightly toasted (about 1 minute).
5. Slice steak thin against the grain. Spread blue cheese sauce on rolls. Divide steak, arugula and onion evenly among rolls. Serve.

Wine Pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon