The Hungry Yuppies' 100th Post!

Peppercorn-Crusted Steaks with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce and Crispy Onions

1 Large sirloin steak, 1-1/4 inch thick, cut into 4 pieces

Olive oil

Butter

1 TBS salt

1/8 Cup coarsely-ground black peppercorns

1/4 Cup Gorgonzola crumbles

1 TBS butter

1 Shallot, minced

1/2 Cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 TBS fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 Small onion, sliced into rings

1 TBS flour

Asparagus Salad

32 stalks small to medium-size green asparagus

2 lemons, juiced

2 TBS white wine vinegar

1 TSP honey

2 TBS smooth Dijon mustard

4 TBS olive oil

In celebration of the 100th blog post, I'm making an exceptionally classy meal! Throughout the past 99 posts I've tried to stay true to the Hungry Yuppies' mission - creating a great meal, regardless of long commutes and hectic schedules. There are so many more dishes I hope to create for this project, so here's to the next 100 posts!

In the past few months I have tried to challenge myself by experimenting with foods I have rarely or never cooked with before (it also helps keep dinner from getting boring). Cooking red meats used to be intimidating, but now I'm feeling confident enough to take on a luxe steak dinner. What could be better for a case of the MUNdays, than steak and Gorgonzola cheese? And now that it's officially spring, I can make this asparagus salad with Dijion vinaigrette from Alex Guarnaschelli. This dinner has a Saturday night feel, but it can certainly be whipped up anytime of the week with just a little extra time and effort.

Take steaks out of the fridge to bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes prior to cooking). Heat a small frying pan with olive oil. Lightly coat the onion rings in the flour. Fry the onions until they are brown and crispy. Set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice bath, then drain, making sure to dry the stalks before adding to the salad. To make the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, honey and mustard in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Toss with the cooled asparagus spears. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.

Once steaks are at room temperature, pat dry, then coat with with salt and crushed peppercorns. Heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add to the hot pan, then turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side depending on desired done-ness. Let rest for at least 10 minutes.

While the steaks are resting, heat butter in a small sauce-pan and lightly saute the shallots. Add the cream and let reduce by half. Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in Gorgonzola. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, top each steak with the sauce, onions and fresh parsley. It's seriously decadent, but seriously delicious. And the salad is so tangy and fresh, I'm going to make this all spring long!