Chef Andrew Arndt Vegetable Ash–Roasted Australian Rib-Eye & Blue Cheese Butter, Wild Mushroom Cracker, Breakfast Radish

Method

Place all the ingredients on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment. Cook them at 350°F until they are dry and black. Remove, let them cool, and place them in a blender. Pulse until they have turned to a powder, sift them through a fine-mesh sieve, and reserve.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour and salt, then add the water and butter. Mix until the dough is smooth, like pasta dough. Take out half of the dough and set it aside. Add the mushroom powder to the remaining half and mix it in. Cover and refrigerate both doughs for 45 minutes. Roll out each kind of dough to 1/8 inch. Cut them in half and layer 1 sheet white, 1 brown, 1 white, 1 brown. Then roll up the layers and roll them out again to 1/8 inch to produce a wood-grain effect. Cut the dough into 1.5-x-2.5-inch crackers and place them on a sheet pan lined with a Silpat or parchment. Sprinkle them with fleur de
sel. Bake them at 425°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and let the crackers set at room temperature.

Mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

Salt and pepper the meat. Roll it in vegetable ash to cover it completely. In a cast-iron pan over high heat, add a light coating of oil. Sear each side of the beef, rolling it from side to side. Remove and place it on a resting rack. Roast it at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and let it rest for a final internal temperature of 140°F. Slice the meat into 1.5 ounce portions. For each serving, spread about 1 Tablespoon of the blue cheese mixture on a cracker. Top it with a medallion of beef. Garnish it with radish slices and fresh cracked pepper.