What do you do when you totally forget that 30 staff are coming to your house for a year end barbecue and all you can find left over in the kitchen is some potatoes, cheese and a 30 pound rib-eye? If you are Chef Chris Wellmon from Cena Ristorante at The Chateaux, you make minute steaks. One of the most remarkable chefs I have had the pleasure to work with, he never ceases to amaze me with what he comes up with and how he gets to his innovative, seasonal Italian menu.
Forgetting the staff barbecue was understandable being as one of his chefs had a big fight the night before. Chef leads his close-knit team through mixed martial arts as a way to blow off steam from the long nights in the kitchen. Read more about Wellmon in the current issue of Dishing PC on stands now. After the excitement of the fight wore off (yes, his chef won his fight) Wellmon was scrambling to figure out how to feed his hungry staff in just a few hours. Minute steaks came to mind. Traditionally, minute steaks are a quick way to make a steak and usually are made with the sirloin or round. Leave it to Wellmon to take a classic at-home favorite and elevate it with ribeye steak. It was such a hit, Wellmon decided to put it on the summer menu at Cena.
Wellmon’s motto is simple: simplicity when cooking brings out the true flavors of the food. After trimming the ribeye, which is locally sourced, and cutting it to 4-5 ounce portions, he seasons it with balsamic vinegar, oil and his proprietary blend of pepperoni seasonings.
QUICK TIP: Use an oiled rag to wipe down the hot grill before placing the meat. This will stop the meat from sticking and give you gorgeous grill marks.
For perfect medium temperature, the meat is grilled just a few minutes on each side. For the accompaniment, Wellmon pan sears fingerling potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, then finishes them off in the oven after topping with Parmesan cheese. When done, the dish is completed with a horseradish balsamic reduction.
This surprisingly simple dish is overly packed with flavor. On the menu, the grilled balsamic ribeye with Parmesan potatoes is offered at Cena for $32. Après starts at 3 p.m. with dinner served from 5-10 p.m. Take advantage of their expansive outdoor patio and enjoy a relaxing and flavorful dinner at Cena!
Cena Ristorante at Chateaux, Deer Valley
Open Wednesdays – Sundays
Après at 3 p.m.
Dinner 5-10 p.m.
7815 Royal Street East
Park City, Utah | 84060
(435) 658-9500
Thank you to Stein Eriksen Lodge for providing the photography for this blog.
