Simply Delicious Chicken Parmesan

Chicken parmesan is one of those dishes that every cook loves - its so easy to make, but tastes like a million bucks, if you do it right.  Great chicken parmesan is moist on the inside and crispy on the outside with a nice cheesy flavor. Read on for a recipe and tips...

The Chicken Parmesan from Tony's Market - wonderfully crisp when reheated in a 425-450° oven.
Served here with Tony's Marinara and DeCecco Pappardelle Pasta.

Chicken breast is very lean, so if it gets overcooked, even a little bit, it can turn out very dry.  The perfect cooking temperature for a boneless skinless chicken breast is 145° internal - so an accurate meat thermometer and a good eye are key.

Chicken breast is perfectly safe when cooked to 145°, but if you insist on cooking longer, another trick is to brine - soaking it for several hours in a blend of kosher salt, herbs, sugar and water.  But only brine NATURAL chicken breasts - most chicken on the market (70% plus) is injected with water and chemical flavorings, or tumble vacuumed with phosphates so it will suck up more liquid (up to 20% by weight!).  Increasing the water content will keep the chicken moister when overcooked (and increase profits!). Personally I prefer natural chicken that's cooked just right. Don't worry, we only offer natural chicken at Tony's Markets.

As for crispiness, you could also use some or all Panko crumbs for breading - they turn out wonderfully crisp, especially when fried.  Happy cooking!

Chicken Parmesan

-8-10 oz strand or ribbon pasta (I suggest pappardelle)
-1 jar Tony's Marinara or Vodka sauce, or more to taste
-4 Tony’s Italian Chicken Cutlets, or 4 chicken breast halves*
-Picual olive oil or canola/olive oil blend, as needed for sauteing
-4 thick slices cheese (mozzarella, provolone or asiago fresco - or 8 slices fresh Mozzarella)
-¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Suggested Accompaniments: Pasta and roasted vegetables; tossed salad; garlic bread (all available at Tony's).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Begin cooking pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, warm Marinara or Vodka sauce over medium heat in a large skillet (big enough for both the sauce and pasta).

Preheat a second large heavy skillet over medium high to high heat - a seasoned cast iron or a heavy stick free pan suggested.

Add a swirl of oil and when shimmering, add chicken cutlets and brown nicely on both sides, cooking to about 3/4 way done - about 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer cutlets to a parchment lined cookie sheet and top each with slices of cheese, then spoon 1-3 TBS of warmed sauce (to taste) on top of each cutlet and then sprinkle each with about 1 TBS grated Parmigiano Reggiano.  Place in the top of preheated oven, convection fan on if available to melt cheese and finish.  Remove from oven at 145° internal, and rest for a few minutes before serving.  Can also be broiled briefly to toast the cheese, if desired.

Meanwhile, toss pasta in simmering sauce and simmer for several minutes to marry. Serve cutlets over pasta paired with colorful vegetables. Serves 2-4.

- Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com -- www.TonyRosacciCatering.com

Notes:
* To make your own cutlets, have butcher flatten boneless skinless chicken breast halves to 1/4 inch thick or less. Season with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg and then roll in Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.  Variation:  This can also be made with boneless chicken breasts that have not been flattened for nice thick pieces.

** Eggplant parmesan: The recipe is the same, start with 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices of eggplant, sprinkle with Kosher salt and place in a colander to 'weep' out extra moisture for 20-40 minutes or so, dab dry and proceed to make cutlets and cook as above.

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.

Scallop Secrets

With a sweet and creamy taste and tender yet textured mouthfeel, scallops are one of the finest foods ever harvested from the sea.  They’re also easy to cook well, especially if you know all of the facts and secrets of purchasing and cooking.

Types of Scallops

Scallops are the adductor muscle of bi-valves, which squeezes the shells together to jet propel them through the water.  There are three types of scallops eaten in the USA: Sea, Bay and Calico.

Sea Scallops are relatively large and ideal for pan searing or grilling.

Bay Scallops are smaller and harvested in shallower bays rather than the deep ocean, wonderfully sweet, they are ideal for stir fries, risotto and in pasta dishes. Most frozen bay scallops are farm raised in China and treated with chemicals, not recommended. We most commonly stock Diver Bay Scallops from the Sea of Cortez, in season.

Calico Scallops are a smaller size, but they don’t have the premium taste of sea and bay scallops.  We don’t normally stock these, but we’ll gladly special order them for you.

Teriyaki Seared Diver Bay Scallops

Other Scallop Terms

Day Boat Scallops:  Many boats go out for several days at a time to harvest scallops in deeper waters, but Day Boat Scallops come from boats that only go out one day at a time, making them the fresher option.  We always buy Day Boat Scallops at Tony’s.

Diver Scallops: This is not a type of scallop; rather it’s a sustainable harvesting method where divers scoop them up with nets.

Wet Scallops: ‘Wet’ scallops are treated with STP (Sodium Tripolyphosphate) a chemical preservative that also acts to soak up copious amounts of water, increasing scallop weight and size considerably. If you see scallops that are overly white and plump with a mild scent and a lot of milky liquid in the pan, they’re most likely treated with STP.  Frozen scallops are also commonly treated with STP, look at the label to see what chemicals have been added.  “Scallop product water added” or “X% Water Added Scallop Product” must be added to the label of scallops with more than 80% water content.

Treated scallops are definitely something to avoid, not only are you paying for chemicals and lots of water, they don’t brown correctly and simply don’t have the quality taste and texture of fresh dry scallops.

Dry Scallops: Untreated scallops in their natural state and the only scallops to consider in my opinion.  Sadly, many consumers have gotten used to the Wet scallops due to the lower price, whiter color and milder scent.  We only offer Dry Scallops at Tony’s.

Sea scallop pan seared in my Taste of Tokyo Rub.

Characteristics

Color: Quality sea scallops range from a creamy beige to light blond color. Some females can have an orange to pink hue, which does not affect taste (and they turn white when cooked).  Bay scallops are generally lighter and whiter.  Avoid bright white sea scallops, a sign of treating with STP.

Odor: Fresh scallops do have a stronger odor than other seafood, but it dissipates when cooked. Treated scallops have a much milder odor thanks to the preservative and added water.

Sizes: Sea scallops are packed by count, with the largest scallops costing the most.  A designation of “20/30 Count” means there are between 20 and 30 per pound.  U/10 is the largest size, meaning there are less than 10 per pound.  Bay Scallops are commonly from 40 to 90 per pound, but they’re sometimes smaller. 

Nutrition: Scallops are a lean and healthy - a 3.5 oz. serving of untreated sea scallops has about 88 calories, 0.8 g fat and 17 grams of protein.  Bay scallops offer about 80 calories, 0.6 g fat and 15 G of protein.

Sea scallop marinated in teriyaki and pan seared.

Cooking Scallops

Sea Scallops: Big and thick, they’re perfect for pan searing or grilling.  They cook very quickly and are at their best with a nice brown crust and a lightly cooked interior.  Don’t be fooled, even though they are thick, they are very lean so they cook quickly and can toughen if overcooked.

For searing, start a large, heavy skillet (the bigger and heavier the better, more metal holds more heat for better browning – on the grill, a heavy cooking grate works much better than wire grates).  Preheat pan or grill with medium high heat to about 400°.  Season or marinate scallops as desired.  Add a drizzle of oil and when very hot, sear 1-3 minutes per side.

Bay Scallops:  Too small to sear consistently, so they’re better quickly stir-fried over very high heat, or simmered in pasta sauces.  A sweet marinade, such as teriyaki sauce, helps them brown much more quickly.  Total cooking time is usually 1-5 minutes depending on conditions.

Sea scallop pan seared in my Chile Arriba! Seasoning Rub

Recipes:

Seared Teriyaki Diver Bay Scallop

Scallop Tattinger

Breaded scallops in the shell with shallots, mushroom and garlic.  I prepared this recipe live on the Channel 7 News for Pierre Tattinger (of Champagne Tattinge, Riems, France).

Quick Teriyaki Scallop Stir-Fry

Seared Jumbo Scallops with Saffron Risotto

Bay Scallop Ceviche

If using larger sea scallops, slice or cut into smaller pieces.

Citrus Scallops

Seared Teriyaki Scallops

Great with either bay or sea scallops

Seared Scallops with Hollandaise

Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Scallops

Irish Scallop Pie

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.

Two Simply Delicious Cod Recipes

Now that sustainable Pacific Cod is in season, I've been renewing my love affair with this super-mild whitefish. It's fun to get fancy sometimes, but usually I try to keep things as simple as possible - and the following two recipes are VERY simple, so simple a recipes's not even needed.

Pan Seared Cod
Of course I was tempted to batter and deep fry my cod, I rarely do because I prefer to keep it healthy, and deep frying gets messy. Simple seasoning and searing in a pan produces a nicely textured fish that's brown on the outside, moist and delicate on the inside. A great method for almost any fish, I had never tried it with cod before, but I'll definitely do it again!

Pan Seared Cod

Start with a heavy skillet and preheat it over a medium high flame. Meanwhile, brush fish with oil and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Plain old salt and pepper will do, I blended my Tuscan Grill Rub with olive oil and spread that on.

Once the skillet is nice and hot, add fish and sear the first side until brown, about 3-4 minutes depending on conditions. Carefully turn over, turn off flame and let the residual heat finish the fish - it could also be transferred to the oven for about five minutes.

I also sautéed onions in the pan (about 10 minutes over low flame) with olive oil and Tuscan Grill Rub and served them on the side with Barley and Wild Rice Pilaf I just finished for our deli.




Cod with Buttered Breadcrumbs
Everyone loves those crispy breadcrumbs!  They're simple to make, start with regular or panko breadcrumbs and season to taste (Tuscan Grill Rub and Parmesan would be nice here), or use a pre seasoned crumb like our Parma Panko, Southwest Panko or Tortilla Breadcrumbs.  Melt a little butter in the microwave and toss with the crumbs to moisten lightly. Olive oil would work nicely here as well.

Keep the fish as cold as possible until time to cook and preheat the oven to about 425 degrees; fish cooks fast, so these two steps will aid in quick browning without overcooking. I like to brush the fish with seasoned olive oil, but just a sprinkle of seasoning will do the trick. Place the fish in on a shallow pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs, generally packing on all the fish will hold (they're delicious!).

Transfer pan to the top shelf of the oven (top shelf means better browning), convection fan on if available. Cook attentively until browned - but take care not to overcook! A cut like cod is usually done in less than 10 minutes. If it's not browned in 7-8 minutes, the broiler will do the trick - but stay nearby, broilers can burn in a matter of seconds.

Of course both of these techniques will work nicely on almost any fish - the keys to success are keeping the fish cold (even frozen is good), using high heat and cooking the fish quickly so it doesn't dry out.  Cheers and Buon Appetito!

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.

Awesome Pot Stickers & Chinese New Year Recipes

It's Chinese New Year - a time to clean up your home, life and relationships to start anew.  I've been lucky to celebrate CNY in Hong Kong and in the homes of various Chinese friends over the years, and let me tell you, it's a veritable food fest!  Everyone breaks out their best dishes, but it's the dumplings and pot stickers that always seem to be the hit of the party!  It's amazing how many get consumed - but nobody can eat just one (dozen)!

Nothing beats pot stickers, dumplings (AKA wontons or gyoza) that's been panfried and steamed.

Nothing beats a great homemade dumpling, and this recipe is the finest I've ever tasted (rivaling the great dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong).  Shaping may seem complicated, but it's not bad, check out this short video for instructions.  Of course we've also got delicious pre made dumplings at Tony's if you don't have the time to make them yourself.


Chinese Wonton Pot Stickers
Short on time?  Find ready to cook wontons in our freezer case at Tony's Markets. 

1 clove garlic
1/4 cup celery, minced
1/4 cup carrots, minced
1/4 cup green onions, minced
2 TBS ginger, grated
1 cup mushrooms, minced
1/2 pound ground pork (or turkey or chicken)
1 tsp concentrated chicken stock
2 TBS Shao Xing (Chinese Rice Cooking Wine)
pinches of salt, white pepper, and sugar
round Wonton wrappers
Canola oil
water

Mince veggies finely and combine in a bowl.  In a second bowl, combine ground meat, stock, Shao Xing, and salt, pepper and sugar and mix well.  Combine meat and veggies and mix well.


Moisten the edges of a wonton wrapper.  Take 1 tsp of wonton filling and place it in the center of the wrapper.  Pick up and fold in half, and with your right index finger and thumb, fold a series of pleats on one side of the wrapper, pressing it into the other side to seal and form a pleated crescent shape.  Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

NOTE: Get pleating tips in this short video: http://youtu.be/PCE2WCIk_CE
You can simplify this step by using a wonton folder – or simply fold in half and pinch moistened edges tightly closed.



Heat a heavy 12-inch pan over medium high heat, add a drizzle of cooking oil and fill with wontons, not touching.  Cook until brown, add 1/3 cup of water or stock and cover tightly, steaming until done – 3-4 minutes. Remove cover and sauté to brown just a bit more before serving with your favorite dipping sauce.  I suggest dipping in a combination of soy sauce and hot chile oil (la yu).
 
-Chef Michaelangelo (mick) Rosacci, Tony’s Market / Tony Rosacci’s Fine Catering
 
www.TonysMarket.com

Gung Hay Fat Choy (A common Cantonese wish for prosperity in the new year).
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More Chinese New Year Recipes

Choosing my Chinese New Year supper right from the tank in Hong Kong.

Here is a set of excellent recipes for Chinese New Year that I sent to our Culinary Club Members over the weekend - Sign up Here if you want to get these weekly recipes as well as special offers, discounts and coupons only for club members.

Chinese Garlic Shrimp 

A simple stir-fry with amazing flavor – it cooks fast, so be sure to have your side dishes ready before you start cooking.

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Cups 

Ground or minced meat of your choice stir-fried in a sweet & spicy sauce and served in lettuce cups with attractive garnishes.

Chinese Tomato Beef

Marinated steak stir-fried quickly in a delicious sauce with tomatoes, onion and peppers and served with rice or noodles.

Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice

The ultimate use for leftover rice, this classic recipe is easy and the technique will help you create limitless variations.

Speedy Veggie Stir-Fry

This quick vegetable stir-fry is the perfect accompaniment to any of the dishes above. 

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.

A Fish With a Past, and a Future!

It's finally here!  Fresh Cod from the Pacific Northwest, the mildest and easiest to cook fish ever!  Read on for a simple recipe that the whole family will love - and there's not a deep fryer in sight!

Cod wrapped in prosciutto di parma with fresh sage and chèvre.

Atlantic Cod

Big juicy flakes of snow white fish that even kids love, cod is hard to resist and universally loved.  Historically the Atlantic cod is the Western world's most important fish.  It's been of great commercial importance since Viking times (800 AD), and after more than 1,000 years of heavy fishing, stocks in the Atlantic have crashed.  Hopefully with time and aggressive management they will recover in our lifetime.  If you love fish and love history, I strongly recommend the book "Cod - a biography of the fish that changed the world" by Mark Kurlansky.  Named one of the best 25 books of the year by the New York Public Library.

Pacific Cod
Stocks of the Pacific Cod are strong and fishing for them far less damaging to the environment, and since fishing cod is tightly managed, this should continue for some time.  Personally, I will not eat Atlantic Cod (or sole, flounder, hake, haddock or Bluefin tuna for that matter), opting instead for more sustainable choices - and now that the Pacific Cod season is open, I can have all the wonderfully mild fish I can eat, without guilt!

Cod Saltimbocca

Cod fillets, 6-8 oz per person
olive oil
Chef Mick's Tuscan Grill Rub; or Italian herbs, salt and pepper
chèvre cheese
Prosciutto di Parma, sliced thinly
Sage leaves
Butter, melted
Breadcrumbs

Cut cod into 3-4 oz pieces about as wide as a slice of prosciutto, thinner or uneven pieces can be pieced together and will cook beautifully - just make sure they are the right size to be wrapped 1.5 times in prosciutto.  Feel every inch of the fish for bones and cut them out if needed.

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with my Tuscan Grill Rub, or a blend of Italian herbs and seasonings.  Place a slice or two of chèvre on one end of the prosciutto, add 1 large of several small sage leaves, place fish on top and cover with more sage leaves, to taste.

Carefully roll fish, cheese and herbs in prosciutto, shaping into a log, and set aside.  (Note: I used the pre sliced Fiorucci brand, separated by thin sheets of plastic, it's very easy to roll.)  Repeat with remaining pieces of fish and prosciutto.  The fish can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and move rack to top shelf.

Melt about 1 tsp butter for every cod roll, blend with 2-3 tsp breadcrumbs and sprinkle over fish.  Place fish on a flat pan lined with oiled parchment paper.  Roast on the top shelf, convection fan on if available, until the fish is done, about 150 degrees internal, roughly 15-20 minutes depending on conditions.

A perfect pair with pasta tossed with Tony's Vodka sauce.  Pairs beautifully with a brisk white wine.

- Chef Mick Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com
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RECIPE #2
Prosciutto-wrapped Fish and Pasta
Here's an similar recipe with greater detail.

Buon Appetito - Salute!

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.

What Makes Beef Great?

As an insider, I get irritated with beef commercials.  These big chains all claim to have “the juiciest and most tender beef for less”, but I know it's simply not true.  News Flash… Better quality costs more and the only way to reduce price is to reduce quality – period.

Apparently facts mean nothing in the world of marketing.  Folks have been misled so often and for so long they either start to believe the lies or just go numb from overload.  

Want to be a savvier shopper?  Here are the facts every consumer should know about choosing beef, and about our beef at Tony’s.

Tony's Natural Local Beef

Great beef is the backbone of our meat departments, so we go to great lengths to assure we have the finest beef possible in our markets.  Read on for the facts about Tony’s Natural Local Beef.


USDA High Choice and Prime Grade Beef

Marbling is a key grading factor - translating into great flavor and juiciness.

We use a combination of High or Premium Choice (the top 10% of the USDA Choice Grade) and Prime grade beef for our steaks.  Our beef represents the top few percentile of quality in the country.  Read more about USDA Beef Quality Grades in the next section.

USDA Natural

Our beef has no added chemical, hormonal or antibiotic residues, nor is it ‘enhanced’ with added flavorings, water or additives of any kind.  Testing for chemical residues is done at processing, and we further verify this with random testing and independent labs.

Pumping, injecting or vacuum marinating meats with water and chemical flavoring solutions is a very common practice in meat and poultry.  These ‘enhancing’ techniques increase weights by as much as 20% while they improve the taste, tenderness and juiciness of low-grade meats.  You’ll never get ‘enhanced’ beef at Tony’s Markets!

Locally Raised

We live in some of the best cattle country in the world, so we only buy the highest grades of beef raised by local family ranchers within 300 miles of our markets.  Raising high-grade beef is not easy, so quality-minded (rather than bulk minded) ranchers and processors carefully plan and track lineage, birth, feeding and health in great detail.  Then at processing the final quality is closely scrutinized and performance information is fed back to the grower so he can continue to grow even better beef cattle.

Grass Fed

Our beef ranges freely on irrigated grasslands and non-irrigated rangelands and is constantly rotated to assure the lands are not overgrazed. Then our beef is finished for 100 days on a thoughtfully planned grain and roughage diet before harvesting.  This combination of feeding methods gives us the best quality beef possible, and assures sustainability.

Cattle grazing irrigated pasture near Hotchkiss, CO.

No Added Hormones

There are no added hormones, steroids or growth stimulants in our beef – USDA testing confirms this, and we also conduct our own random testing.

Never Fed Antibiotics

No sub-therapeutic use or feeding of antibiotics. 

Humane Treatment

Superior animal husbandry is the rule and one of the secrets to raising great beef – our growers always treat their animals in a kind and humane manner.  It’s not factory farms raising beef of high quality; rather its small family ranchers who take excellent care for their animals.

Extended 3-4 Week Aging

We proudly offer both Dry Aged and Wet Aged Beef, and age all our steak cuts for 21-28 days.  Extended aging under the right conditions improves the flavor and tenderness of beef.  Aging ties up money and causes shrinkage, both of which drives up price, so this step is usually skipped in today’s efficient marketplace, but often misrepresented.

No Gassed Meats

We cut all our meats by hand and in house, and we sell it fresh or frozen - we never use gas packaging, preservatives or color stabilizers.

In-House Ground Beef

We grind all our meat in house and in small batches several times a day.  We use only in-house steak and roast trimmings and whole muscle beef chucks and rounds (inspected free of e-coli) in our ground beef.  We never buy bulk meats or trimmings for grinding, nor do we use meat pastes mechanically stripped by automatic meat recovery systems (which is common in most ground beef).

No Meat Glues

Smaller pieces of meat can be ‘glued’ together to look like solid muscle cuts – a common practice that we never take part in.

USDA Beef Quality Grades

The USDA offers an inspection service to rate the potential quality of beef to help the consumer with a consistent set of quality standards.  At Tony's, we will only sell USDA inspected beef (and all meats).  Many grocery chains skip this step to save money, but still represent their beef as graded (for shame!).

USDA Prime

This is the highest grade of beef, and only about 2% of all American beef can achieve this lofty grade.  USDA Prime beef has to meet a lot of standards, most notably is a very high marbling level.  Marbling is the streaks of fat inside the center of the muscle, and the more and finer the streaking, the higher the marbling level.  USDA Prime beef is the juiciest and most flavorful beef possible – and available at Tony’s Markets.


USDA Choice

Most graded beef falls into this huge category and includes beef of little marbling to beef with ample marbling.  This category is further segmented into ‘Low, Mid or High/Premium Choice’.  Only about 10% can make the High/Premium Choice grade.  All our steaks are High/Premium Choice, or USDA Prime.


USDA Select

This low quality grade was previously ungraded and sold as ‘Generic’ beef.  USDA Select beef is a very low grade and not recommended for grilling.  To improve quality, it’s often mechanically and/or chemically tenderized by injection and vacuum machines (these enhancing methods can add up to 20% weight).  We do not offer USDA Select beef.

Beef Branding

Marketing a beef brand is common these days – skipping the facts and using a nice sounding name makes it confusing for customers (which is good for bulk retailers).  One well-known example is Certified Angus; thanks to extensive national marketing, it's become synonymous with quality in the minds of most.  What most folks don't know is that the Certified Angus Program has nearly 2-dozen quality levels – from very high grade to not so great.

We do not advertise a brand at Tony’s.  Instead we select beef based on our own set of quality standards, some of the most rigid in the industry!

RECIPE
Rib Eye Steaks with Gorgonzola and Port Wine Sauce


4 Rib Eye Steaks, Premium grade and aged 3-4 weeks
2 TBS minced garlic (optional)
1 TBS olive oil
2-3 TBS Tony's Euro-Crust or Z Blend Seasoning
4 TBS gorgonzola cheese - room temperature
Garnish: fresh blackberries or raspberries and mint sprigs (optional)


Port Wine Sauce:
1 cup instant demi-glace (More Than Gourmet brand)
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 cup Port wine
1 TBS butter


Combine garlic and olive oil and rub over steaks. Sprinkle with seasoning to taste. Preheat a medium high grill.


Cooking Outdoors:
Grill over direct heat heat, cooking to rare / medium rare. Remove to a plate. Crumble gorgonzola with two forks and sprinkle over steaks - tent with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes.


Cooking Indoors:
Preheat oven to 375° and preheat a heavy oven-safe skillet or grill pan over medium high heat (cast iron is ideal). Mist pan with oil and brown steak well on the first side. Turn, transfer to oven and finish cooking to desired internal temperature (115-135° internal suggested for rare to medium - can also be cooked from start to finish in the pan over medium heat). Remove from oven, transfer to a plate, top with gorgonzola and tent with foil. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.


Meanwhile, prepare demi-glace according to package directions, set aside. In a saucepan, saute minced shallots in oil until soft. Add Port and reduce by half. Stir in demi-glace and simmer several minutes to marry, keep warm, or rewarm when ready to serve. Swirl in butter immediately before serving.


Serve steaks drizzled with Port wine reduction sauce. Garnish with dark berries and mint or oregano sprigs if desired. - Chef Mick (michaelangelo) Rosacci, www.TonysMarket.com -- www.TonyRosacciCatering.com
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Wagyu beef at a shabu shabu restaurant in Japan - a few seconds in simmering water, a dip in sauce and it eats like buttah!
American raised Wagyu Beef (Kobe) is also available at Tony's Markets.

About the author: Chef Mick (Michaelangelo) Rosacci is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets in the Denver Metro area. Mick also teaches cooking on Denver’s Channel 7 News and Dig In, a local gardening show on FOX. For more recipes and our very best deals, visit www.TonysMarket.com and join the Culinary Club.