Filet-of-Beef with Cambozola and Creamed Spinach
By
Cambozola is a triple cream, brie-style blue cheese made from cow’s milk in the German region of Allgäu. Alongside is a ramekin of creamed spinach. Creamed spinach has been a steakhouse tradition in New York City in 1887. Today, it’s hard to imagine a steak house that doesn’t serve creamed spinach. What a treat to have a glass of the Founders Reserve Pinot Noir with this rich dish.
Serves 4
Total Time 30 minutes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Level Medium
Ingredients
2 (10-oz) packages fresh spinach
3 tbsp butter
2/3 c finely chopped onion
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3 tbsp and 1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 c milk, heated
1/2 c freshly gated parmesan cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg to your taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 two-inch thick trimmed filets of beef
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz Cambozola cheese cut into 4 blocks
Directions
For the spinach: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the spinach, cover, and steam until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water and squeeze out as much water as you can. Transfer to a cutting board and chop relatively finely.
For the spinach: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until onions have softened. Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook for a minute or two to get rid of any rare flour taste. Whisk in the milk and cook until hot and thickened. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg. Stir in the spinach and season to your taste with salt and pepper.
For the spinach: To make ahead, transfer the creamed spinach to a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs. Refrigerate until 40 minutes before serving. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
For the steak: Season the steaks well on both sides with salt and pepper. In a heavy skillet heat the oil over high heat. Add the steaks, reduce the heat to medium high and cook the steaks until done to your liking. 135 degrees for medium rare is recommended. Top steaks with the Cambozola and set aside for a few minutes for juices in the meat to redistribute and cheese to melt.
For the steak: Serve the steaks with the creamed spinach and sautéed mushrooms.
