EatWisconsin Weekly Roundup

Every week I will post a handful of great articles, podcasts, recipes, or postings that I feel deserve your attention. This was supposed to be posted last Friday, but I forgot about it.

Getto Watch
Dennis Getto reviews Rip Tide

Chorizo Mania Continues to Sweep Milwaukee
Nancy Stohs, capitalizing on Milwaukee's 2 week-long love affair with Chorizo (hey we love "new" sausages) posts some great Chorizo recipes including some standouts from La Estacion in Waukesha. (If you get a chance, try one of their chorizo tacos, they are awesome).

So its come to this, a Podcast Clip Show
Chef Mark Tafoya celebrates his 50th podcast with a show filled with messages from other podcasters, clips from previous shows as Mark takes a trip down memory lane. The ReMARKable Palate is one of the better food related podcast and easily the most diverse podcast with everything from recipe tips, cooking demos, soundseeing tours, and interviews.

Barrage of Whole Foods Promotion Begins
OnMilwaukee posts an article (obviously written with the assistance of a press release) about the long-awaited Whole Foods being built on Milwaukee 's East Side. The "Talkback" feature is filled with a lively debate about the need for another upscale grocery store and anti-Whole Food ramblings. Most of the posters are hipsters trying to act too cool for Whole Foods. Look, if you want to support your local stores like Outpost and Beans and Barley, that is great but don't knock those of us who like a little variety. There is plenty of room in the marketplace for locally owned and chain stores.

Best thing I ate this week:

Filet Mignons with Pale Ale Reduction and Bleu Cheese made in my kitchen. Recipe Below

What you need:
Filet Mignons
Cumin or Adobo Seasoning
Ancho Chili Powder
Kosher or sea salt
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Pale Ale (about ½ cup)
Butter
Blue, gorgonzola, stilton or some other pungent veined cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Season filets with Penzey's Adobo seasoning (Cumin would be ok), Ancho chili powder and Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Put a small amount of canola oil and a pat of butter in a skillet (please don't use non-stick). When it is hot, add the steaks and leave them alone until nicely caramelized. Flip over and let the other side caramelize.
Place in oven for about 5 minutes (internal temp of 130 degrees)
Remove from oven and from pan and let rest, covered with foil) for about 5-10 minutes.
Add pale ale to the pan and scrape up the bits of fond with a wooden spoon, add butter to taste. (I would also have added shallots, but I was out of them). Set aside.
Turn oven to broil setting.
Place some cheese atop the filets and return to the pan with the Pale Ale Sauce. Place under broiler until cheese melts (keep and eye on it as it happens pretty quickly).
Set filets on serving plates and spoon the sauce around the base of the steaks.

The pale ale with its hearty hop notes added a nice bitterness which was balanced with the butter in the sauce. Shallots would have added a nice sweetness, but as I mentioned, I was out of them. Serve with starch and veggie. I served with rice and French green beans. I think that a nice mashed potato would have been great with the Pale Ale Sauce.