Steak with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Smokey Blue Cheese
A well-prepared steak doesn’t need much else. Deeply sweet and savory tomatoes and smokey blue cheese are the perfect partners. This week we are feeling the Denver cut, but bavette or hanger are excellent choices as well.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
For the steak
2 (6-8 ounce) steaks
4 tablespoons salted butter
4 sprigs thyme
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
For the tomatoes
1 pound roma or San Marzano tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Cracked black pepper
To serve
2-4 ounces Rogue River smokey blue cheese, cut into wedges
Flakey sea salt
METHOD
Season the steak. Season the steak generously with salt on all sides. Rest for 1 hour at room temperature, uncovered, on a tray lined with a wire rack (air circulation is key). The steak can also be left in the fridge overnight (still uncovered). Make sure to pull it out of the fridge to temper 30 minutes before cooking.
Roast the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 250°F with the fan on. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss with the vinegar, oil, several cracks of black pepper, and salt. Taste for seasoning - they should be well seasoned. Place cut side up on a parchment lined sheet pan and cook for 1-2 hours, until the tomatoes have reduced in size by about half. They should be pleasantly chewy and still a bit juicy, not reduced all the way down to “sun dried” tomatoes.
Cook the steak. Heat a skillet on medium-high. Pat the steaks dry. Add a thin layer of neutral oil to the skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the steaks and press down to make sure as much of the steak as possible is in contact with the pan. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Once a deep brown crust has formed, flip the steak and brown the other side. Rotate the steak to brown as much of the surface as possible. When it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F, reduce the heat to low and add the butter, garlic cloves, and thyme. Use a large spoon to baste the steaks with the foaming butter until the internal temperature reaches 120-125°F. Remove the steaks to a plate and pour the butter over. Rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Plate. Arrange the tomatoes and cheese on the plate. Slice the steak against the grain of the meat. Place the steak next to the tomatoes and sprinkle the meat with flakey salt.
FURTHER READING
