Beef Tenderloin for Sale

This is never going to photograph as awesome as it tasted.



Considering I couldn't find my camera while the food was hot, these pictures are the best I could do from Zach's cell phone.

I always look at sales like some sort of game. I know retailers end up making money off of sales. It is because they convince people to buy things they normally would not have even considered purchasing at full price. Well, I refuse to be taken! I approach sales the way I would a dirty little rodent: wait until it is in a corner and then examine its moves as I close in slowly then POUNCE!

I try not to buy things on sale just because they are on sale. I hate feeling like I was "fooled" by the sale. I like to feel like I won the game...the store did not take me...I took IT! I buy things on sale for the following reasons:

I will 100% need to buy this item in the very near future whether it will be on sale or not (for example: I would buy coke zero before I actually run out if there is a great deal like 2 cases for the price of 1. I would never just buy it if it is slightly discounted because who is to say the deal will not be sweeter by the time I actually need to buy it?)

If I have been waiting for an item to go on sale, I will name my price in my head (for example: "That shirt is worth $19 to me so I will buy it if it dips below that price")

I will buy something on sale if it is better quality but the same price (on sale) as something I normally buy (for example: This happens quite often with wine; I have my go-to bottles, but regularly there are nicer bottles on sale for the same price so I can use those opportunities to try some new ones)

This beef tenderloin falls under the "I have been tracking you (borderline-stalking) this item for weeks, and I have not yet seen it at such a low price and I really really want it" category. Beef tenderloin is expensive. It is sold in large slabs (mine was about 3 pounds). I was going to wait for some sort of dinner party to make this baby, but I had a change of heart when I saw it for the right price at the grocery store.

My boss suggested Ina Garten's recipe a while back, and I have been meaning to make it since then. This delicious recipe comes with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce that I ended up using as a spread or a dip for everything that found its way onto my plate.



Tenderloin of Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce

(recipe by Ina Garten "The Barefoot Contessa" - serves 6)

whole Tenderloin of beef (2-3 pounds -- trimmed & tied
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500F.
Place the beef on a baking sheet and pat the outside dry with a paper towel.
Spread the butter on with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare starting with room temperature beef.
Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Remove the strings and slice the filet thickly.

Gorgonzola Sauce
4 C heavy cream
3-4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Bring the heavy cream to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 45 to 50 minutes, until thickened like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.
Off the heat, add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and serve warm. If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

This was quite a feast for just two, but I had a plan for this hunk of meat that will be a future post...Texas Chili 2 Ways (you will not want to miss that!).

For the Love of Steak

Four more years!



No, I am not referring to an upcoming presidential election. I am referring to Zach and me. March 22nd will mark the 4th anniversary of our 1st date. We were Juniors in college at the University of Florida. We were both a part of Student Upstart Films which was a club started by Sue (of Sube). Our first official date was to go see the movie, V for Vendetta, a movie I had already seen once at the time. The movie was fine but not something I would normally see twice in one week. Our first dinner date was to Outback Steakhouse in Gainesville. We both ordered the "Outback Special" since the love of steak was something we had in common.

Here we are four years later. We have been through so many life experiences together from studying for exams, graduating college, moving across the country, starting jobs, quitting jobs, countless trips, debates and laughs. Everything is better with someone you love by your side. A quiet evening in front of the television is something I look forward to. One thing that has failed to change is our love for steak. Zach has seen my passion for cooking grow over the last few years, but I have never been a master at the grill. He, on the other hand, has perfected the art of grilling. He can make the perfect steak nearly every time, and it never fails to impress me.



For our anniversary this year, we took a trip down to a little town about an hour northeast of San Diego called Descanso. We stayed in a rock cabin in a small neighborhood community near the Cuyamaca Mountains. The cabin was an old cozy space with nothing but mountain country charm.



There was a fireplace, an old wooden checkerboard, a kitchen straight out of the 50's, a creek out back made of freshly-melted snow and a hot-tub on the back patio underneath a gazilion bright stars. Zach became very friendly with out neighbor.



The cabin was about a half hour outside of a small historically rich town called Julian, CA. Julian is famous for its apple pie and its important role in the California Gold Rush in the late 1800s. There is a Wolf Center where you can observe large Alaskan Gray Wolves in a semi-natural habitat. There are antique shops and a small used bookstore on the main street. We ate Bar-b-que and Apple Mountain Berry Pie after a 4 mile loop hike at Stonewall Mountain trail in the Cuyamca Mountains.



The cabin itself was so cozy, we decided to make a nice dinner. Steak seemed like an appropriate anniversary meal. Filet Mignon, grilled shrimp, blue cheese vinaigrette salad and bruschetta were all on the menu. Wouldn't you like to know how to grill the perfect steak?



Here are some tips from Zach:
Set a gas grill on high heat, and let preheat for 7-10 minutes.
While the grill is pre-heating, season the steaks with a little bit of each of the following: balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder.
Put steaks on the grill on the high heat.
Press down on the steaks with a long spatula until a small amount of juice drips into the flame; this will make the flame jump, searing the outside of the steak.
If you like an exceptionally seared steak (you know, with that little crisp to the outside like you find in restaurants), pour some beer or whiskey on the grill (the higher the alcoholic content of the beverage you use, the more crisp the outside of the steak will be).
Turn the heat down to medium, close the lid of the grill and allow steaks to cook about 10 minutes (flipping every 3 minutes) for a medium rare steak.
After you remove the steaks from the grill, wait at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.

This should all be followed the next day by a hearty breakfast in the crisp, cool, morning mountain air.





Just stay clear of Alaskan Gray Wolves looking to run off with your meat before you cook it.


Alaskan Gray Wolf crunches a raw chicken leg like it is a pretzel at the California Wolf Center in Julian, CA.

The Whole Package

Everyone has something special they do for birthday, anniversary or Valentine's Day celebrations. Some of you like to have your favorite home cooked meal made for you, or maybe you have a special cake your mother has always made for your birthday. Zach and I do steak dinner. We will use any reason to celebrate by going out for a steak dinner. We do about three of these dinners each year: my birthday, his birthday, anniversary (sometimes Valentine's Day). We treat each other for our birthdays, and we try to find different places to go each time. The ones we have done since moving to Los Angeles include: Houston's, The Lodge (which is closed now, unfortunately), The Montecito Cafe, Ruth's Chris, and Fogo De Chao. A quick review of each, you ask? Why, of course:

Houston's: Although they have some in Florida, I never went to Houston's until I moved to Los Angeles. I would describe this place as the kind of restaurant that wealthy folks will go to for a hearty burger. It is nice, always busy, and the food is everything you want it to be when going in for a steak dinner: The steak is always cooked properly, the potatoes are creamy with a salty and crisp skin, and the wine selection is more than I can ask for.

The Lodge: Apparently, this place is closed now. It is a shame because it was definitely a restaurant to which I was planning a return visit. Oh well.

Montecito Cafe: We went up the coast about an hour and a half to Santa Barbara for our anniversary last year. This place was not a steakhouse. They had a variety of dishes, steak being one of them. The thing that impressed me about this place was the way everything went together. Usually at a steakhouse, I am just there for the steak and nothing else really matters, but this meal felt so complete. The side dishes (mashed potatoes and vegetables) and the appetizer (goat cheese pancakes) were outstanding without completely stealing the show. It was a nice overall experience.

Ruth's Chris: I always enjoy steak dinner. This one was delicious and satisfying as usual. However, I don't think I will be back. This place was a little too prissy for my taste. Of course everything was fantastic, but I prefer the laid back atmosphere of Houston's. I even prefer the steak at each of these other places to the steak here. Here is the gist of it: I like my steak to be tender, juicy and beefy; this steak was tender, juicy, and delicate which is fine... just not my preference.

Fogo De Chao: Holy cow! This place is intense, and by intense I mean life-changingly delicious. Lovely servers parade around the restaurant with skewers of filet mignon, parmesan encrusted pork loin, tender chicken wrapped in bacon, top sirloin, lamb, and other delicious things I cannot even remember. There is a salad bar full of fine cheeses, vegetables, and cold cuts. The bread is warm and gooey. This is definitely the most expensive place on my little list (start saving now!), but it is also an amazing experience. I have said enough on this.

Ah, steak dinner. It has been quite a few months since the last time we had one of these celebratory outings. I was craving this sort of thing the other day but had not the special occasion nor the special funds required to celebrate. Zach and I took a ride to the grocery store and bought the materials to make an extravagant steak dinner with all the fixings for just $9.00 each. $18.00 bought us 2 juicy filet mignons, fresh bruschetta on garlic clove artisan bread, balsamic roasted asparagus, and homemade sweet potato fries. We broke open a bottle of wine we had left from our trip to Sonoma that probably cost about the same amount as the entire meal. Either way, we enjoyed a $140 meal for a little more than it costs for a trip to the movies in Los Angeles for two. Anyone who knows me knows I love movies, but I do dare to call this meal:

Better than the Movies Steak Dinner:

In the leading role, we have: Filet Mignon

2 steaks (filet mignon and NY strip are among my favorites)
pinch of salt and pepper for each
dab of olive oil for each

Rub the olive oil into your room temperature steaks, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The idea here is to let the flavor of the steak take center stage. Grill steaks for about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side) on med/high heat for a steak that is medium rare. That is according to our grill, but you should not be ashamed to slice it open a little to take a peek inside if you need to.



Did I mention we put sauteed mushrooms on top of the steaks?

NOW FOR EVERYTHING ELSE:



Bruschetta

2 medium sized tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes in different colors like red, orange, and yellow work nicely)
4 think slices of an artisan-style bread (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
high quality olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 clove garlic (whole)
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the tomatoes (not too too small), and try to get rid of excess tomato seeds and juice. Add salt, pepper, minced garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil to the tomatoes. Mix together and set aside.
Use a pastry brush to lightly coat each slice of bread with olive oil on all sides. Place the slices of bread in a nonstick pan over med/high heat until it turns a golden brown color. Flip each slice of bread to do the same on the other side. Rub the whole garlic clove into the surface of each slice for flavor.



Pile the tomato mixture generously on top of each slice of warm bread. The bread should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.





Sweet Potato Fries

Two medium sized sweet potatoes
olive oil (to coat)
kosher salt to taste

Preheat oven 425 degrees F
Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly. Cut potatoes to shape and size of preference. Place potato slices in a Ziploc bag. Add olive oil, and shake the slices around in the bag to coat with the oil. Once the fries are coated with oil, add the salt to the bag and shake it around again to coat with salt. Spread the coated potato slices on baking sheet, making sure to keep a little space between each one. Bake for 10 minutes; flip each slice and bake the other side for another 10 minutes or until toasted to your liking (should take about 20 minutes in all).

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus spears
1/4 C olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper



Preheat oven on to the broil setting.
Make sure to trim the base ends of the asparagus (if needed). Put asparagus spears, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a Ziploc bag. Shake it all about to coat. Spread asparagus spears out on a large baking pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Broil for 5 minutes and serve right away.

No Words

There are some moments in life when words escape you. Better, no words exist as a suitable reaction or response to certain experiences. If you would like to experience something like this, I suggest you try the following recipe:

No Words Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon (with port wine sauce)

4 servings (a recipes from allrecipes.com)

1 tbsp butter
½ C minced white onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
¾ C low-sodium beef broth
½ C port wine
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 filet mignon steaks (1 ½ inch thick)
¾ C blue cheese
¼ C panko bread crumbs

Port Wine Sauce:
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and thyme.
Stir constantly, until onion is tender.
Stir in beef broth and then the port wine.
Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced to about ½ cup.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear steaks quickly on both sides until brown, then place the whole pan in the oven.

Roast steaks in the oven for about 15 minutes (for med-rare).
Remove from the oven and place on a baking sheet.
Stir together the panko bread crumbs and the blue cheese.
Top each steak with a layer of this mixture.
Turn the oven up to the broil setting.
Place steaks under the broiler until the cheese topping is browned and bubbly (3-4 minutes). Remove from the oven, and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Pour the port wine sauce over the steaks and serve.



I like the taste of grilled steak better than baked. The next time I make this I am considering grilling the steak instead of searing it quickly and then baking for the 15 minutes in the oven. I would follow the grilling by topping them with he blue cheese and then broiling them for about 3 minutes in the oven to get the cheese to bubble.