Telegraph Fabulous Foodie Entry..Coffee Marinated Ribeye Steak with Griddled Pears, Gorgonzola and Walnuts and Griddled Little Gem Lettuce & dressing

By Doreen Simpson
Fabulous Foodie 2015 contestant

5:55PM GMT 30 Jan 2015

From food bloggers to market-stall holders and supper-club chefs, Fabulous Foodie, a three-round cook-off, challenges eight contestants to produce their finest dishes using ingredients from Aldi, including its new and exotic Specially Selected range.

In the , Doreen Simpson, set mouths watering with her unusual take on a steak dinner, Try her recipe for yourself, below:

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

4 ribeye steaks, ¾in thick

for the marinade:

100ml good strong cold coffee

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 clove garlic, crushed

for the salad:

4 firm but ripe medium-sized conference pears, peeled, halved, cored and pips removed, brushed with a little olive oil

4 little gem lettuce, in lengthwise quarters with core intact, brushed with a little olive oil

100g Gorgonzola

Handful toasted walnuts, chopped

Handful pomegranate seeds

for the vinaigrette dressing:

2½ tbsp red wine vinegar

1 shallot, finely chopped

25g Gorgonzola

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp walnut oil

Pinch sugar

METHOD

The steaks will need at least an hour to marinate, better still if they can be left overnight in the fridge.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and place in a sealable bag. Add the steaks, seal up and squish the marinade around to make sure each steak is well covered. Chill until ready to cook.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and blot dry with kitchen towel. Brush each steak on both sides with a little olive oil and heat up a griddle pan until hot (it should be uncomfortable to hold your hand above the pan).

Cook each steak for 2-3 minutes a side (medium-rare). Leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Slice against the grain.

For the warm salad, mix all the ingredients for the dressing, season and set aside.

Heat the griddle pan and griddle the pears until brown but still firm. Griddle the lettuce until browned at the edges.

To assemble the dish, lay the sliced steak on a plate. Place pears on one side, fill the centre with Gorgonzola and sprinkle over a few chopped walnuts. Place the griddled lettuce on the other side, dress with vinaigrette and sprinkle over a few pomegranate seeds.

Serve immediately, while the lettuce is still green and crisp. Garnish with a sprig of baby tomatoes.