Grilled Veal Strip Loin with Blue Cheese Sauce
- Preparation 20 min
- Cooking 20 min
- Servings 2
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🥩 The grilled veal that thinks it’s a five-star dinner
These cast iron pan-grilled veal strip loin steaks with a creamy gorgonzola blue cheese sauce are exactly the kind of dish you serve when you want to impress without spending all day in the kitchen. The veal is seared in thyme butter that perfumes the entire kitchen, and the creamy gorgonzola sauce comes together in parallel in barely ten minutes. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two, a weeknight anniversary, or simply a Sunday evening when you deserve something spectacular. The kind of recipe that makes it seem like you studied culinary arts when it’s surprisingly simple.
🔥 Thyme butter, melting gorgonzola and perfect cooking
The key to this recipe is respecting the meat: we temper it, sear it over high heat, and constantly baste it with fragrant thyme butter to create a golden, juicy crust. The blue cheese sauce completes the picture with its smooth texture and bold character that elevates every bite of veal. The shallot and garlic base of the sauce bring aromatic depth that transforms a simple steak into a signature dish. Serve it all sliced with the sauce cascading over. It’s visually stunning and gastronomically unforgivable.
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🌡️ Tempering the meat is non-negotiable
Taking the veal out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking allows the meat to reach room temperature and ensures even cooking from center to surface. A steak that’s cold in the center will give you an overcooked exterior before the interior reaches temperature. It’s the difference between a decent steak and a memorable one.
🍳 Cast iron pan, the only serious option
Cast iron retains and distributes heat consistently, which is essential for creating a golden, crispy Maillard crust on the veal. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until it smokes slightly before placing the steaks in it. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, a heavy stainless steel pan will do, but avoid non-stick which doesn’t get hot enough.
🧈 Basting with thyme butter, the game-changing technique
Constantly basting the steaks with thyme butter during cooking isn’t a decorative gesture. It’s a chef’s technique that infuses the meat with herbal aromas and brown butter while accelerating cooking from above. Tilt the pan slightly to collect the butter with a spoon and baste continuously. The thyme releases its essential oils into the hot butter, creating a flavor layer that no dry seasoning can reproduce.
🧀 Gorgonzola in the sauce: crumbled, never in blocks
Crumble the gorgonzola into small pieces before adding it to the hot cream to ensure even melting and avoid lumps. If using a firmer blue cheese like Stilton or Roquefort, reduce the amount by a third, as their flavor is more pronounced. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon without being too thick. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
⏱️ The 5-minute rest, patience rewarded
Letting the meat rest under aluminum foil allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the fibers. If you cut the veal immediately, the juices spread into the plate rather than staying in the meat. After resting, slice against the grain at an angle for restaurant-worthy presentation and maximum tenderness.
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Ingredients
- 2 veal strip loin steaks about 200 g (7 oz) each
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Blue cheese sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
- 1 French shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 carton of 237 ml 15% country cream
- 150 g (5 oz) gorgonzola blue cheese, crumbled
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Preparation
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan heated over medium heat, melt the butter and add the shallot and garlic. Cook stirring for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cream, blue cheese, thyme leaves, salt and pepper, then mix. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly and the cheese is melted. Turn off heat and keep warm.
- In a large cast iron pan heated over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil and melt the butter. Mix well.
- Add the steaks, rub them in the bottom of the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the steaks, add the thyme sprigs and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare doneness. Constantly baste the steaks with the thyme butter.
- Remove the steaks from the pan, place them on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steaks and drizzle with the blue cheese sauce.
Absolutely. Roquefort will give a spicier and saltier sauce, Stilton will be more earthy, and Bleu d’Élizabeth (Quebec cheese) will bring an interesting local character. Adjust the quantity downward if using a stronger cheese than gorgonzola, which is relatively mild for a blue cheese.
Veal is ideally enjoyed medium-rare to medium, between 63°C and 68°C (145°F to 155°F) internal temperature. Unlike beef, well-done veal quickly becomes dry and loses its natural tenderness. A meat thermometer is your best ally to not exceed the perfect doneness.
The sauce prepares very well up to 24 hours in advance. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and reheat over low heat, adding a drizzle of cream if it has thickened too much. It even tends to develop more flavor after resting cold, with the gorgonzola continuing to infuse.
15% country cream gives a lighter sauce than 35% cream, but if you prefer a richer version, use 35% cooking cream reducing the quantity by a third. For an even lighter version, a mixture of half evaporated milk and half cream works well. Avoid milk alone, as the sauce won’t bind properly.
Veal steaks grill beautifully on the barbecue over high direct heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. You’ll lose the butter and thyme basting, but you’ll gain grilled flavor. Prepare the blue cheese sauce inside in parallel and drizzle over the steaks when serving. The smoky barbecue taste and melting gorgonzola form a spectacular pairing.
Garlic and fresh herb butter sautéed mushrooms are the natural complement to this grilled veal. Mushrooms and blue cheese share earthy affinities that amplify each other. For freshness and crunch, my lemon and white wine green beans will cut through the richness of the gorgonzola sauce. And if you want something creamy as a side, my parsnip and pea purée will bring natural sweetness that rounds everything out. A trio of accompaniments that transforms this dinner for two into a real feast. links: https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/champignons-sautes-au-beurre-a-lail-et-aux-herbes-fraiches/ https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/haricots-verts-au-citron-et-au-vin-blanc/ https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/puree-de-panais-et-de-petits-pois/
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