2021 Vuelta - Stage 19: Tapia to Monforte de Lemos
Only 3 stages are left starting today! This month has flown by, with help from my own wedding preparation. I got my negative Covid test results early this morning, so we are good-to-go. That was a pretty cruel trick by mother nature, sacking us all with an illness about 10 days before the main event. Oh well, back to the Vuelta, today they are traveling from Asturias to Galicia. Galicia is the NW region of Spain that hangs over Portugal and is surrounded on 2 other borders by the ocean. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Brittany in France, which is fitting because today’s stage-specific dish features a product typically only attributed to France, bleu cheese! But, they certainly have bleu cheese in Spain as well, typically referred to as Valdeón or like the Asturian-sourced product I used: Cabrales which I topped on a beautiful prime center-cut reverse-seared beef tenderloin. My brother-in-law personally cut it for me and it was a beautiful piece of meat that only needed salt, pepper, and this delicious cheese.
Beef Tenderloin with Cabrales Cheese Solomillo al Cabrales from Tapas, José Andrés
1 pound beef tenderloin in one large piece
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Thyme
Sea Salt
Cabrales cheese
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Pour the olive oil into a small baking dish or roasting pan. Place the tenderloin in the oil and roll it around, fully coating it with oil. Place a few sprigs of thyme in the bottom of the dish and place the tenderloin on top of the thyme.
Place the beef in the oven and roast until it reaches 135 degrees, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven.
When the steak is ready, pour the pan oil and drippings into a cast iron skillet (or other skillet), discarding the thyme, and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer in the skillet, sear the beef for 30 seconds on all sides. Remove to a dish and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Using a sharp knife, slice the beef into 1-inch cubes. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Distribute the pieces among several plates and top with crumbled cabrales cheese and another light sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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