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Chef's Recipe
Holland America Line's Culinary Arts Center program, presented by Food & Wine Magazine, is a groundbreaking program that integrates guests' love for fine food and wine with a unique and entertaining experience. Immerse yourself in the unique traditions and tastes of the ports of call you will visit. Sample fine wines from around the world or learn to make a new gourmet dish in a hands-on cooking class taught by our own Master Chefs or Culinary Guests.
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Grilled Strip Steak with Blue Cheese Butter and Spicy Pear Salsa
(from A Taste of Elegance, Rudi Sodamin)
Yield: 4-6 Servings
New York strip steak is a very flavorful top loin steak that's sometimes called Kansas City or ambassador steak. (Bone-in strip steak is commonly known as shell steak.) Here it's topped with the luscious Blue Cheese Butter; Spicy Pear Salsa is served alongside.
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Ingredients
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- ¾ cup pure olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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- 4 (1¼-inch-thick) New York strip steaks, about 6 ounces each
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons Blue Cheese Butter*, chilled but not frozen
- 2 cups Spicy Pear Salsa**
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Directions
In a large glass baking dish, combine olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and pepper. Add the steaks and turn to coat. Let marinate for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or chill for up to 6 hours, turning occasionally. (Bring to room temperature before grilling.)
Preheat a grill on medium-high heat. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry. Season with salt. When the fire is hot, place the steaks on a lightly oiled grill rack; cook uncovered, turning once, about 7 minutes per side for medium rare. As an alternative, cook the steaks in a grill pan or skillet.
Transfer the steaks to serving plates. Top each steak with a piece of Blue Cheese Butter. Let stand until the butter softens, about 5 minutes. Spoon the spicy Pear Salsa alongside and serve immediately.
Charcoal-grilling the perfect steak
When grilling steaks, the rack should be set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals. The coals are hot enough when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the rack for only 1 to 2 seconds. Place the steaks on the rack and turn occasionally with tongs until cooked to the desired doneness:
- For steak ½ to ¾ inch thick : rare (6 to 10 minutes), medium (10 to 14 minutes), well done (14 to 18 minutes).
- For steak 1 to 1¼ inches thick : rare (10 to 14 minutes), medium (14 to 18 minutes), well done (19 to 22 minutes).
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*Blue Cheese Butter
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces crumbled Roquefort cheese (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons minced chives or minced shallot
- Sea salt and fleshly ground black pepper
Add a slice of this butter on top of a grilled steak, or toss it with steamed vegetables, potatoes, or tofu. Variations include adding 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard or substituting 2 tablespoons of port for the chives.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, cheese, and chives. Use a rubber spatula to press and fold the ingredients together. Season with sea salt and pepper. Scrape the mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and form into a log about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Roll in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours.
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**Spicy Pear Salsa
- 2 firm but ripe Anjou or Bosc pears (about 1 ¼ pounds total), peeled, cored, and cut into ½ - inch cubes
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup (about 2 medium) jalapenos, deseeded, deveined, and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Cut the preparation time by substituting drained canned pears for fresh.
In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the cilantro and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Season with sea salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.
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