The Good Stuff
Steak Salad - Ivan Style
What does a steak salad look like? There have been many renditions of a steak salad over the years. Every chef has done something different. Blue cheese based with onions, creamy vinaigrette... What I have done here is a play on acid. I love to play with the balance of acid and sweet in a dish. I took hanger steak, marinaded it with chilies, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil. Then grilled it to my preferred doneness. Let it rest. Sorry, I am getting ahead of myself... here are the recipes for my version of a steak salad.
I love to play with the balance of acid and sweet in a dish.
Tomato Viniagrette
Day 1
10 ea vine ripe tomatoes10 ea garlic cloves
10 ea thyme sprigs
1 cup olive oil
1 tbs salt
1 tbs black pepper
Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees F. Put the olive oil and half of the salt and pepper down first in a large heavy pan. Now place the thyme in the pan, dispersed evenly. Take all of the tomatoes and cut them in half, and lay them flat side down on the oil mixture. Take the garlic and peel it. Cut the garlic in half and place in between the tomatoes. Top everything with the rest of the salt and pepper.
Once the oven is hot, place the pan in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. This should blister the tomatoes enough to pull the skins off with a pair of tongs. After that put the tomatoes back in for another 15 minutes. Pour into a container and allow to cool over night.
Day 2
4 oz balsamic vinegar.5 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Once cool take all of the ingredients and add to a blender. Add the balsamic vinegar and the rest of the olive oil to the blender as well. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning. You will probably have to add salt at this point to balance.
Reserve for later in the refrigerator.
Hanger Steak
1 lb hanger steak
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp ground ancho chilies
1 tsp ground bay leaf
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbs olive oil
Rub steak with olive oil. Mix all dry ingredients together. Spread evenly across all of the steak, and let sit at room temperature for about an hour.
Grill over hot charcoal until preferred doneness.
Focaccia Croutons
6x6 inch loaf of focaccia (cut into 3/4 inch cubes)
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs kosher salt
.5 tbs fresh ground black pepper
Toss bread with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast in a 450 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown, but still soft on the inside.
Grilled Onions and Tomatoes
1 ea sweet onion
3 ea vine ripe tomatoes
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt
.5 tbs fresh ground black pepper
Cut the top and the bottom off of the onion. Cut in half and peel the tough skin off of the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half. Toss all with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Put the onion on the cool part of the grill and cook slowly. Once the onions are almost soft (15 minutes into cooking, depending on the heat of the grill), add the tomatoes flat side down to the hottest part of the grill (needs to be really hot to sear the tomato). Once marked on the flat side turn over so that the skin is on the grill. Wait until the water in the tomato starts to boil. Then remove. The onions should be pretty close by this time. Onions can hang out on the grill for quite a while. They just get sweeter as they cook. They are also good with a crunch. Depends on your liking.
Once done, remove and reserve in a warm place until ready to serve.
Grilled Hanger Steak Salad with Tomato Viniagrette
Serves 2
4 oz romaine (chiffinod)2 oz tomato vinaigrette
6 oz hanger steak
4 halves grilled tomato
6 rings grilled sweet onion
10 ea focaccia croutons
To finish
1 oz tomato vinaigrette
Toss romaine with vinaigrette and season with salt to taste. Place on middle of plate. Toss onion and croutons in bowl with left over vinaigrette that is in the bowl from tossing the romaine. Place on top of the romaine. Push tomatoes up against the romain on the plate. Steak gets fanned on top. Drizzle the left over dressing over the top of the dish. Fresh ground black pepper would be a good addition at this point.
Enjoy!