Roquefort Sauce

Day 16

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2013

At our house, we rarely grill steaks. Maybe once a month, we’ll ask for a nice cut from the butcher and indulge. We recently enjoyed one such evening, as Doug and I were browsing through a local meat shop and happened upon some very nice cuts of beef. We couldn’t resist. 

Having purchased such nice steaks, I wanted to add something new and unforgettable to the plate. The wheels started turning. 

Instead of the humdrum grilled steak, salad, and potato option, I decided to give the meal a bit of a twist by adding a steak sauce, changing our traditional salad with a French vinaigrette to a wedge with a fresh creamy dressing, and by serving cheese grits, baked in a casserole rather than served from a saucepan. The grits were almost outvoted by twice baked potatoes—an easy, yummy recipe I’ll share later in the blog— which I often make with red meat entrees. Alas, everyone finally agreed to try a different side dish instead. 

I’d say the steaks with Roquefort sauce were a huge hit. Doug isn’t fond of cheese, believe it or not (who isn’t fond of cheese?!?!), so he ranked the sauce much lower on the sauce scale than, say, a béchamel or a more common, fermented base, like Worcestershire. The girls and I really preferred the new sauce, though. It was creamy, rich, and sharp, and it definitely added a touch of gourmet to the traditional “meat and potatoes” reputation of a steak dinner. Many cooks and chefs have their versions of steak sauces that are delectable, for sure. Ina Garten, my very favorite chef, makes both a Stilton sauce that requires no cooking and a Gorgonzola sauce that is a slow cooked, creamy one.  Restaurants frequently offer diners the choice of blue cheese crumbles on their filets, so I opted for my own blend of favorites I’ve seen from various sources. 

The result was a sauce that can be served cold or at room temperature, that is quick and minimally labor intensive, that requires absolutely no cooking, and that includes easy-to-find ingredients. How could we say no to something that simple? 

This Roquefort sauce offers a generous dollop for about six steaks. It can be doubled, and the horseradish can be increased to taste. Truthfully, had I been eating alone, I would have used a lot more of it in the sauce. Of course, that’ll be completely up to you, although I suggest increasing it by small increments, tasting, then adjusting as needed. Remember, you can always add more of what you like, but removing an ingredient is impossible.  

Enjoy!

Roquefort Sauce 

8 oz. sour cream

6 oz. Roquefort cheese

½ cup mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 tbs. chives
2 tbs. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. black pepper 
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 dash hot sauce

Into a food processor, put Roquefort cheese and chop until in small pieces. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into gravy boat or serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sauce can be served directly from refrigerator or at room temperature. 

Spoon sauce over steaks and baked potatoes, as desired.