Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Crumbled Blue Cheese and Tomato Topped Fillet Mignon

When I was a little girl, I dreaded having steak for dinner.  And when I say dreaded, I mean dreaded.  Like dragged my feet to the table with the most painful distraught expression smeared all over my face.  I thought that it was terrible.   It actually hurt my jaw to eat my Mom's steak back then.  I would have to say, that if I were to compare it to anything else in this world it would have to be a tire.  Yep, a rubber tire from a car.  My Mom would make it all the time and I usually ended up basically dousing it with ketchup and A.1. and then pretty much just pushing it around my plate, in hopes to appear as though I was making any kind of progress.  When you are as desperate as I was at those moments, you will try anything to fool your Mother.  I was a table camper.  And if this term is new to you, I was basically that kid.  That kid that did not like anything that you served.  I am proud to say that I spent many many evenings alone at the table with my unwanted dinner untouched in front of me.  I was passionate even then.  I would sit and sit and sit there not eating my steak until either it broke down from the plethergy of sauces that I had it nearly swimming in or until my Mom got so frustrated with me that she would send me to bed.  She told me during one of my steak strikes that they all liked it (meaning her, my Dad and my brother), so I should like it too.  I can remember looking clearly at her and stating that everyone has different taste buds and mine did not like steak.  Not at all.  It wasn't until I was waitressing my way through college at a steak house of all places that I actually tried 'steak'.  The establishment was very thorough on making sure that all of the wait staff could describe how everything was made, seasoned and how it tasted.  And every time they introduced something new to the menu, we all were made to try it.  And they always prepared it medium, which is pink and warm throughout the center.  This was sheerly appalling to me.  Never never never had I ever ate any red meat that was not cooked completely, basically served as rubber.  As we all lined up in the kitchen to each take a bite of their new Gorgonzola and tomato topped sirloin, my mind was racing 2-40.  I was so grossed out by the thought of eating 'raw beef' that I thought I would pass out before my turn.  Or at least that was what I was hoping for anyhow.  And then, it was my turn.  And darn the luck I had, my bite was directly from the center of the steak.  Go figure.  So as I stood there in front of it with my fork and knife in my hands, I looked over to the manager who was psycho Nazi style watching over us as we were all trying this new wonderful steak and I caved.  All of my fierce resistance fled and I leaned forward and cut a small piece from the center of the steak.  And I ate it.  I can still taste it now.  It was amazing.  Phenomenal actually.  Basically the very most best thing that I had ever eaten.  And from that day forward, I was hooked.  I will take any steak prepared anyway as long as it is not thoroughly cooked.  And I strongly believe that a properly cooked steak does not need any sauce.  It is an insult to the cook.  Sorry Mom. 

4- 6oz. cuts of fillet Mignon (or beef tenderloin is great this way too)
Worcestershire sauce
McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning4 oz. of crumbled blue cheese

2-3 fresh Roma tomatoes (sliced lengthwise about 1/4"-1/2" thick)
4 oz. of crumbled blue cheese

-Preheat your grill with a medium-high flame.  Place your steaks flat on a platter and douse both sides well with the Worcestershire sauce and a nice healthy sprinkling of steak seasoning (making sure to again get both sides well).   Toss them up on the top rack of your grill for about 4-5 minutes on the first side (longer or shorter depending on the thickness of the cut, but we are going for a MR-M doneness), then flip and grill for about another 3-4 minutes on the second side; top with a layer of sliced tomatoes, covering that with a handful of blue cheese and then a little bit of salt and pepper on top.  Close the lid and grill until the cheese looks melty and your tomatoes look a little bit flame kissed.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. Loved the story !!! Minus the Blue cheese......... Its FETA for me !

    ReplyDelete