BEEF BROCHETTE WITH TALEGGIO AND SPICY CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Beef Brochette with Taleggio and Spicy Chocolate Sauce image

Provided by Brad Sorenson

Time 35m

Yield 12 skewers

Number Of Ingredients 20

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 cup port wine
1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4-ounces dark chocolate, grated
1/2 cup cornstarch
Water, as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8-ounces beef tenderloin, cut into 12 equal-sized cubes
3 tablespoons steak seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch dice
12 dried apricots, reconstituted in hot water
4-ounces Taleggio cheese, cut into 12 pieces

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the chocolate sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Sweat the shallots and garlic until aromatic. Add the chipotles and cook until the adobo sauce has darkened. Add the port and cook down until reduced by 2/3. Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar, and reduce by half. Add the beef stock, chile powder, coriander, and nutmeg. Simmer and reduce down by 1/3. Stir in the grated chocolate. If the sauce is thin, mix the cornstarch with some water and whisk in a bit at a time until the sauce is thickened. You may not need all of the cornstarch slurry. Taste the sauce and season with salt, and pepper. Set the mixture aside and keep warm.
Season the beef cubes with the steak seasoning. Thread the skewers in this order: onion-beef-apricot-onion. Roast the skewers in the oven for 8 minutes. Top each skewer with a piece of Taleggio cheese and roast in the oven for another 2 minutes.
Serve the skewers with the chocolate sauce.