Ribeye steak with Roquefort sauce
How to cook a ribeye steak so that it remains tender with the sauce?
- 2 rib-eye steaks
- 50 g roquefort
- 10 cl thick fresh cream
- 10 g margarine
- Prepare the sauce base by mashing the Roquefort cheese and cream with a fork. Do not add salt: the Roquefort is salty enough.
- In a large skillet or sauté pan, melt the margarine over high heat. Add the rib-eye steaks without seasoning and cook to your liking. Rare: 1 minute per side over very high heat. Medium-rare: 1 minute per side over high heat, and for the second side, stop as soon as pink juices appear. Medium: 2 minutes per side over medium heat (stop when blood begins to bead on the surface). Well-done: 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium heat; reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the second side until the juices turn brown.
- When the rib-eye steaks are cooked, keep them warm. Lower the heat. Pour the cream/Roquefort mixture into the pan and heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly to obtain a smooth sauce.
- Serve the sauce separately, in a sauceboat or in individual ramekins.
To achieve perfectly tender meat, remove your rib-eye steaks from the refrigerator at least thirty minutes before cooking to avoid thermal shock, which would toughen the fibers. Use a very hot pan to sear the meat and seal in the juices. Finally, let the rib-eyes rest on a warm plate under aluminum foil for two to three minutes after cooking: this allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the steak before coating it with sauce.
Why shouldn't you add salt to Roquefort sauce and how do you adjust its intensity?
Roquefort is a blue-veined sheep's milk cheese naturally very high in salt due to its traditional production and aging process. Adding salt to the dish could make it too briny and overpowering. If you find the final sauce too strong, you can easily soften it by adding a spoonful of crème fraîche. To subtly enhance the flavors without adding salt, opt instead for a few turns of freshly ground black or green peppercorns.
What can be used as a substitute for margarine in cooking, and what are the best side dishes?
Although the recipe calls for margarine, butter remains the ideal ingredient for cooking red meat, as it imparts an incomparable nutty flavor. To sear the rib-eye steaks over high heat without burning the fat, use a mixture of unsalted butter and a drizzle of neutral vegetable oil. To accompany this flavorful dish, opt for crispy homemade fries, dauphine potatoes, or, for a lighter option, a salad of crisp green beans or sautéed button mushrooms.
