Our 21st Year of Eating, Drinking and Telling You About It!
HOUSTON Saturdays and Sunday 4-5 p.m., NewsRadio 740 KTRH
A Presentation of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods
SATURDAY: One of our favorite prime steakhouses, in Houston or anywhere else, is Morton’s – yes, the one that used to be known as Morton’s of Chicago. Houston is blessed with two Morton’s that aren’t in Chicago, one downtown and the other in the Galleria area. This week we check out the one in the Galleria. And in our Grape and Grain segment, we travel to Kansas City to tour the iconic Boulevard Brewery.
SUNDAY: We’ve been fans of Indian cuisine since the patriotic Bicentennial summer of 1976, which we patriotically spend in London. Now Indian food has become a part of our lives in this country too, a fact we discuss with Anita Jaisinghani of Indika and her new place in WEST AVE called Pondicherri. In today’s Grape & Grain segment, we taste and talk about the wines of Australia’s fabled Barossa Valley.
AUSTIN Saturdays 10-11 a.m., Talk 1370
A Presentation of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods
Max’s Wine Dive may have been born in Houston, but it’s taken to the funky side of downtown Austin in a really major way. We sit down for a tasting with the executive chef and the general manager to learn how some restaurants just “get here as quick as they could.” And in our Grape and Grain segment, we travel to Kansas City to tour the iconic Boulevard Brewery.
This Week’s Delicious Mischief
STEAKHOUSE FILET MIGNON
2 (10-ounce) filet mignon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fleur de sel
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, optional
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides. When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.
Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you’re actually testing the middle of the steak.) Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve hot with Roquefort Chive Sauce on the side.
Roquefort chive sauce:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces French Roquefort cheese, crumbled (4 ounces with rind)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has become thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese, salt, pepper and chives and whisk rapidly until the cheese melts. Yield: 4 servings
