Grilled Pesto Marinated Skirt Steak with Blue Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound skirt steak, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices, room temperature
• 2 cups jarred pesto
• Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blue Cheese Fondue, recipe follows

Soak 15 wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes. Heat the grill.

Thread the meat onto skewers, season with salt and pepper, and coat with the pesto. Grill to desired doneness. You can also cook the meat to medium rare then finish it off in the oven just before the party.

Cook's note: Have the butcher slice the skirt steak for you. Serve cooked meat skewered into a loaf of bread for a fun presentation next to the Blue Cheese Fondue. Other garnishes (like apple, etc.) can be arranged stabbed into the loaf as well.

Blue Cheese Fondue:

Cook's Note: You can make this sauce a couple of hours in advance but reheat it very slowly to prevent separation. A number of cheeses can be substituted for the Cambozola; try Brie, Blue Cheese, or aged English Cheddar. Alternatively, use this sauce as a base for lasagna, tossed with pasta and steamed asparagus, or spooned over grilled steak for a stunning accent.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 pound Cambozola blue cheese, crumbled, or other blue cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small pan over medium-low heat, cook the butter, thyme, and garlic until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the cream, raise the heat to medium, and bring the cream to a simmer. Cook until the cream is reduced by 1/3. Lower the heat to maintain a slow simmer. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the pepper and pour into a fondue pot set over low heat.