Spanish-Style Steak with Cabrales Blue Cheese, Smoked Paprika Fries, and Rioja Red Wine Sauce
Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One
In this "steak and potatoes" dish from my Spanish-inspired restaurant, Bolo, I employ a handful of classic gems for flavor. I use a red wine from the Rioja region to make a sauce; mix a little butter with a wedge of Cabrales, one the best blue cheeses in the world, to melt on top of the spice-crusted beef; and season the fries with pimentón, the glorious Spanish smoked paprika. Don't forget to save yourself a glass or two of that Rioja to drink with this steak... or just open another bottle!
Ingredients
Red Wine Sauce
- 1 cup port wine
- 2 cups Rioja red wine
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cabrales Butter
- ½/z cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- ¼ cup crumbled Cabrales blue cheese
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steaks
- 4 (12-ounce) prime dry-aged New York strip steaks, all fat trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons Spanish Spice Rub (page 309)
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
- Smoked Paprika Fries, for serving
Smoked Paprika Fries
- 5 large russet potatoes, peeled
- Neutral oil, such as avocado or canola, for deep-frying
- 2 tablespoons hot smoked paprika (pimentón picante)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Red Wine Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, combine the port, red wine, sugar, and honey and cook over high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the reduced liquid to a blender. With the motor running, stream in the oil and blend until emulsified. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Return to the medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat until ready to use.
- Make the Cabrales butter: In a medium bowl, fold together the butter, cheese, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Steaks
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Very liberally season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper and season one side with the spice rub. Use your hands to really press the rub into the flesh of the steak so it almost becomes part of the meat.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until it begins to smoke. Working with 2 steaks at a time, carefully place the steaks in the pan spice-side down and cook, undisturbed, until the spices form a deep crust, about 4 minutes (you can peek at the bottom after about 90 seconds, but don't move the steaks otherwise). Flip the steaks and put the whole pan in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature and pull from the oven when the meat is a few degrees shy of your desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steaks to the wire rack and slather with some of the Cabrales butter. Wipe the pan clean, add the remaining oil, and repeat with the remaining steaks. All the steaks need to rest for at least 10 minutes before you serve or slice them.
- To serve, spoon some red wine sauce over each of four large serving plates and then place a steak on top of the sauce. Either arrange the fries on the plate, leaning against the steak, or place them in a decorative bowl or cup next to the steak. Serve with extra red wine sauce on the side.
Smoked Paprika Fries
- Cut the potatoes into long, thin strips, about ¼ inch thick. Submerge the fries in a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch.
- Fill a large, deep, straight-sided skillet halfway with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Line two baking sheets with paper towels.
- Working in batches, drain the fries and pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Carefully add the fries to the hot oil. (Working in batches will help you maintain the oil temperature and avoid overflow.) Fry the potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes, until they are softened but still pale. Use a spider to transfer the fries to one of the paper towel-lined baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining fries.
- Once all the fries are parcooked and drained, increase the heat of the oil to 375°F. Again working in batches, return the fries to the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Use a spider to transfer the fries to the second paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to a bowl and toss with the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. The spices should adhere well if you season while the oil is still on the fries, so don't delay this step. Repeat with the remaining batches of partially cooked fries.
- Serve the fries immediately while they're still hot and crispy. You can pair them with your favorite dipping sauces or enjoy them on their own.
Notes
- I, of course, would oven bake the fries
- It akes more sense to transfer the steaks to a roasting/sheet pan (after frying the first side) to finish in the oven
- Make the red wine sauce (but don't emulsify) and cabrales butter ahead