A dish that often appears on bistro menus in France and increasingly here in the States. It’s best, I think, with Roquefort, which is made from sheep’s milk. But Stilton, Gorgonzola, Maytag blue, or any high-quality fairly soft blue cheese will work well. Don’t bother, however, trying to make this sauce with commercially produced domestic blue cheese, such as that sold precrumbled for salads. Not only will its taste be inferior, but it will not give the sauce the same creaminess. You need a salad here, to provide some offsetting lightness. Some bread wouldn’t be bad either; whatever your side dishes, they should be relatively uncomplicated.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed

　　1/4 cup minced shallot

　　2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

　　6 ounces crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　A good pinch of cayenne

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds sirloin (New York) strip, filet mignon, or ribeye steaks

　　Minced fresh parsley leaves or chives for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; the fire should be quite hot and the rack no more than 4 inches from the heat source.

　　

Step 2

Put the butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium; when the butter melts and its foam begins to subside, add the shallot and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, stir, and cook until it is just about evaporated, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese, a few grindings of black pepper, and the cayenne. Stir occasionally until the cheese melts, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary (it’s unlikely that the sauce will need any salt). Keep warm while you grill the steaks.

　　

Step 3

Season the steaks well with salt and pepper, then grill or broil for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, longer or shorter according to your taste. Serve the steaks with a spoonful or two of sauce over each, garnished with the parsley or chives if you like.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.