Rib-Eye Steaks with Mushroom Coffee Sauce

I had prepared this very flavorful sauce for the Polar Production Team last week as a thank you for bearing with me during the long, sleepless hours of filming my first cooking series. On the last day, I packed a meal for each member revolving around my favorite insomniac's ingredient: coffee, of course!

I seared beautiful rib-eye steaks and paired them with a mushroom coffee sauce. The beef was such good quality that salt and pepper could have been sufficient but I jazzed it up with espresso coffee and flavored the sauce with the velvety, dark elixir. 

Gourmet Steak Pinwheel Recipe

This is a simple beef recipe, as no marinating time is necessary. I selected a good quality piece of New York Sirloin steak that I thinly sliced and used for the wrapping. I created multiple layers by spreading shaved Asiago cheese, goat cheese (as the adhesive to the top covering) and arugula over the steak. Once the beef was rolled into a tight wrap, I sliced the log into small pieces, then pan-seared them.

As a reminder of the flavor of the beef pinwheels, I topped them with arugula Asiago pesto. Not only did it give a beautiful, striking color to the meat, it also paired wonderfully with the cauliflower puree I served on the side. 

Filet Mignon Appetizers with Tomato Chutney

We recently hosted a formal dinner partiy and I wanted every single dish to taste extraordinary, so I prepared over-the-top filet mignon appetizers to start the evening. I layered the bite-sized starters with puff pastry, Indian-inspired tomato chutney, ash-ripened chèvre and the pièce de résistance: a decadent slice of medium-rare filet mignon. 

My favorite part was to see the reactions of my guests during the party. You don't need to use a whole lot of the sophisticated meat; a thin, dainty slice of the steak is enough to impress your crowd. I sealed the deal with a good glass of red wine and carried on with the (I hoped!) eye-popping menu. 

Veal au Poivre Recipe

In my opinion, the best place to get tender cuts of veal in the US is a halal meat market. There seems to be more turnover of veal products in general. It’s cheaper than Whole Foods and fresher than the Asian market.

I bought boneless veal chops to make this steak au poivre recipe. It’s an easy dish to prepare, so the key is to prepare a flavorful sauce to accompany the meat. I made the sauce with green peppercorns and a splash of Cognac brandy. Instead of serving the veal au poivre with potatoes, I paired it with a tasty pumpkin and sweet rice purée. It’s a nice change of pace from your average steak and potatoes dish!

Note: You can catch me live today on Blog Talk Radio. I'll be on Real Talk with Lee, chatting about my new cookbook "Banh Mi" Wednesday, July 17^th at 7:00 p.m EST. I hope you all can tune in for the interview!

Sirloin Steak with Artichoke Butter

Here in the Bay Area, the weather has been gorgeous. I lit up my grill for the first time this season and made my favorite meal: top sirloin steak that I garnished with a dollop of artichoke butter, marinated artichokes capellini pasta and grilled artichokes.  

I cooked the steak a la plancha by placing a cast iron griddle over the charcoal grill. The hot plancha created a nice crust around the steaks, which I had marinated in soy sauce to tenderize. Simple, juicy and delicious!