The final test cheese from Point Reyes arrived at the Hippo Flambe household right before my husband went down with a nasty virus. This means I had unchallenged access to it for several days. When I first examined my wedge I noticed how similar it looked to the first one, although the color was maybe a bit darker. As I stared at the latest sample memories of the first sample made me hungry . The rind has a classic blue cheese funk, while the center paste had more of a clean blue cheese aroma. As I sampled the center I detected a sharper blue cheese bite at the back of the throat, more of a mature blue. The cheese is creamy, balanced, smooth and rich. Originally I thought the first blue cheese sample I received was a good beginners blue because it was not too strong. However with the first version Sebastian, my 9 year old, only sampled the smallest of bites. This time after the first tentative taste he kept asking for another piece. “That blue cheese sure is good,” he told me.

After getting familiar with the cheese on its own I decided it was time to see what it could do in a recipe. The same week that I received my cheese sample I also received a review copy of All About Roasting, by Molly Stevens, with a recipe for Steakhouse-Style Sear-Roasted Strip Steak topped with Blue Cheese and Chive Butter. At first I was unsure of committing 2 ounces of my precious wedge to anything other then eating it plain, but as I tested more recipes from the book I decided it wasn’t really a risk.

The blue cheese chive butter balanced the bite of peppercorns with the funk of the blue cheese and the counterpoint of the chives. The steaks were tender, well seasoned and a perfect match for the tangy cheese. The blue cheese butter is also nice to spread on bread or crackers, but be sure to try it on top of Molly Steven’s recipe for Sear Roasted Steak on my blog.

Blue Cheese and Chive Butter
From All About Roasting by Molly Stevens

Makes about ¾ cup

2 ounces blue cheese (if you don’t have access to Point Reyes blue use another favorite blue)
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp thinly sliced chives
1 scant tsp freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

1 SEASON THE BUTTTER. Crumble the blue cheese into a small bowl and mash it with a fork until smooth. Add the butter and work to combine the two evenly. Add the chives and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until smooth. Taste for salt; the amount needed will vary depending on the saltiness of the cheese. (I did not need any for the Point Reyes Blue).
Transfer to a small bowl or ramekin, wrap tightly, and refrigerate. Let the butter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.

2 SERVE. Scoop a generous tablespoon of butter onto the hot steaks as it rests. The idea is that the heat of the steak will melt just enough of the butter to lightly sauce the steak and leave a small amount unmelted so it’s visible when it comes to the table.

-Robin Berger
http://blog.hippoflambe.com