Top Chef Dale Talde's Iron Grilled Cheese and Filet Mignon with a Smoky Tomato Soup

First of all - I always want to add an "e" to smokey, which makes me want to add an "e" to tomato.  It's the Dan Quayle effect.

Sooo... it's been a while, huh? Life takes you in some pretty crazy directions.  I was working a job where I basically ate, slept and breathed that job (albeit, a pretty amazingly awesome job with some pretty amazingly awesome people), but I have taken a new position where I hopefully have a bit more of some work life balance and some more time to blog!

Aren't you all so excited?!?!?  More me and my long-winded posts!!!

How about I try to keep this one short, hmm?

Do you remember the episode from Top Chef All-Stars in which the cheftestants (I miss that word) had to cook using only food they found at Target (TARGET!! Or as I like to say "Tar-JAY") and Dale won by grilling a grilled cheese in which he added rib eye steak with AN IRON.

Funnily enough, in the directions for this soup, it still tells you to make this at home by grilling it with AN IRON.

Listen, as great as that sounds, I don't want my grilled cheese tasting like spray starch. Or worse, having my shirts smell like grilled cheese.

I know the photo is bad, but it's been a while since I've blogged, so I've forgotten how to set up a shot. And to be honest, I actually kind of accidentally dropped the sandwich in the soup, and when I took it out, it looked like a hot mess, so I had to just put it in and let it look like that.

Anyways...

This one is SO simple. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, smokey chipotle Tabasco sauce, some half and half. Blend. And you've got a creamy, complex soup, where the smokey chipotle and its subtle spices dance on your tongue. And don't even get me started on this sandwich. Cripsy bread, touched ever so lightly with butter, filled with ooey gooey cheese and (in my case, because I don't like ribeye), tender, juicy pieces of filet mignon are absolutely to die for. I normally don't like grilled cheese, because I don't like cheesy things ...besides my writing. BA DUM CHAAAAA.

Anyone?

Whomp, whomp.

Dale Talde's Smoky Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheese and Filet Mignon Sandwich.

Serves 4

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can whole peeled tomatoes (preferable San Marzano)

1/4 cup Half and Half (or you can use heavy cream)

1 tablespoon smoky chipotle Tabasco

8 oz. Filet Mignon

Cheese (any kind you like - I used fontina)

Bread (again, any kind you like, I used a whole wheat boule)

Butter to spread on bread

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive Oil

For the soup

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. When glistening, add chopped onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add whole peeled tomatoes and half and half and lower heat to medium.  Cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, add smoky Tabasco.  Carefully transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste

For the Sandwich

Season filet mignon with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add filet mignon and cook to medium rare, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let rest.

Butter outside of bread lightly. Slice cheese and lay on slices of bread. When readdy, slice filet mignon into thin slices and arrange on top of cheese. Assemble sandwich and cook either in panini press or on griddle until cheese is melted and bread is crispy.

Serve with soup immediately.

 

 

 

Comments

[Raffaela Scaffa]

oh how i missed you! You know i have to definitely make this one for my filet Mignon loving man. Did i mention he loves cheese too? not so much Tomato soup, but he loves Tomato juice. haha

[Naina @ chow bella]

I'm glad you're back, I missed your blog (partly because your interactions with your boyfriend remind me of my interactions with my own). I remember watching the Target episode of TopChef and looking at my iron in a whole new light - thanks for this recipe!

[Jessica]

Ooh, that looks very good...and I thought the sandwich in the soup was a stylistic choice - I never would have guessed it was accidental! So glad you are back - missed your blog!

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I'm so glad you're back!!!

This looks delicious.

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Filet mignon is a steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin, or psoas major of the beef carcass, usually a steer or heifer.

[Bianca]

hooray you're back! Missed your posts. This one is a good one! I will definitely have to try out that soup! delish! Thank you!

[Bianca @ South Bay Rants n Raves]

Welcome back! I missed your posts. I'll have to try this recipe out. Looks good.

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

So glad to see you're back! And, with a fabulous recipe. This looks wonderful... I have to give it a try. Though, like you, I think I will avoid cooking with my iron. :)

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shirts that smell like grilled cheese....that sounds pretty friggin' awesome actually.

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Yummy!! I like such food, I love tomato soup also. It's very spicy and delicious with tomato soup. I will try out this on my next weekend.

[Eliana]

This has delicious and comfort written all over it Teanna. Welcome back! (I've been a lil out of the loop myself.)

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