Beef Tagliata with Radicchio & Gorgonzola

Do you know how nice it is to have come home and have someone make you a sandwich? Talk about a stress free [and delicious!] meal. Sometimes it’s just what you need for dinner. Simplicity. Then you’re actually done with dinner in a quick fashion so you have time to go to the park for an hour. That never happens.

I’ve been playing with a ton of intense flavors lately [and eating frozen grapes]. I guess I do that a lot, don’t I? It seems more common these days. Have you had radicchio [it’s pronounced ra-dee-kyoh by the way]? Even if you haven’t gone out of your way for it, it sometimes ends up in those pre-bagged salads you can buy. While it looks like a cabbage and has a similar texture, it is actually chicory that originated in Italy. It’s bitter, especially while raw. When you cook it down or roast it, it looses some if it’s edge, but will never be without a hint of bitterness. It pairs really, really well with tangy, pungent gorgonzola. It cuts through the bitter without issue and bridges the gap between the bitter radicchio and sweet caramelized shallots. 

It’s paired with steak [tagliata is just Italian for sliced] because beef is a great backdrop for whatever you’re throwing at it. In this case, bitter and tangy. It’s seared on a cast iron skillet for a few minutes on each side for a nice medium rare.

Inspiration: La Cucina Italiana Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
• 1-2 ounces of crumbled gorgonzola [depending on your affinity for the flavor]
• 1lb rib eye, brought to room temperature
• fresh cracked pepper
• salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

Cover the steak in a healthy layer of salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. When it gets heated through, add the radicchio, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until the radicchio wilts and the shallot turns translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Empty the contents to a bowl and add the gorgonzola. Mix well. Wipe out the pan as best as possible.

Adjust the heat to high and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts, add the steak. Allow it to sear on one side for 3-4 minutes before flipping. After another 3-4 minutes, pull the steak off the pan and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain. I ate half the steak with half of the radicchio, and saved the rest for lunch the next day.