INGREDIENTS

• 1 8 to 10-ounce New York strip steak
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, freshly ground (see note #1)
• 1/4 pound Roquefort cheese
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Freshly snipped chives (optional)

PROCEDURE

1. Rub each steak all over with butter. Season with salt, and crust with ground peppercorns.
2. Sear the pepper-crusted steak in a very hot sauté pan (or cast iron skillet if you have one) 3 to 4 minutes per side, and then finish by placing the pan in a 450 degree F oven until your desired doneness (see note #2). Allow steak to rest 10 minutes before slicing or serving.
3. Meanwhile, make the Roquefort topping by crumbling the cheese and mixing it with the cream with a fork. Spoon on top of the steak, and snip fresh chives over for garnish.

NOTES

1. To grind peppercorns, place them in a clean coffee grinder and whiz them around to a rubble.
2. Searing a steak can get tricky. For the steak pictured above, I seared the steak 4 minutes on the first side, 3 on the second, and ran it into the oven for another 3 or 4 minutes. For medium-rare to medium, you want the steak to feel like the fleshy part of your hand beneath your thumb if you touch your thumb to your index or middle finger (an old cook's trick).