A Simple Steak Salad Recipe That Is Sure To Please

I really like easy salad recipes that come together in a few minutes. In spite of knowing how to cook some days it's nice to throw dinner together in a few minutes and have something that is really good.

This is a delicious steak salad recipe that is incredibly easy to put together. If you don't care for some of the vegetables substitue them for others. Tomatoes, zucchini, and asparagus would be good substitutions or additions, as are hard boiled eggs and croutons. It's a great weeknight dinner, give it a try.

As you can see I do not trim the fat off my steak. Fat good, more fat, better. But feel free to trim your steak. If you do, trim the fat before you cook it.

Yummy homemade scallion and blue cheese dressing. Look at those blue cheese chunks.

All the ingredients are prepped and ready to go. The carrots are grated, and the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and cucumber are thinly sliced.

NY Steak

Seared rare NY steak, rested and sliced on a bias.

The Steak Salad

• Yield: 2 large salads or 3 small salads
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: varies, 6 minutes for rare

Ingredients

• 450 gram NY Steak (1 pound) - See notes if you want to cook the steak past medium rare.
• 5 to 6 ounce bag organic mix greens, about 4 cups, washed and dried
• 4 or 5 organic crimini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1/4 organic red onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 organic red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/4 organic yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 organic cucumber, sliced into thin half moons
• 1/2 a large organic carrot, grated
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 recipe blue cheese dressing

Method

1. 30 minutes prior to cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator and allow to rest on the counter.
2. Combine the mix greens with the mushrooms, red onion, bell peppers, cucumber, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss together and set aside.
   
3. Set a 10-inch saute pan over medium high heat, and allow the pan to get smoking hot. Meanwhile, season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper.
   
4. When the pan is smoking hot use tongs to place the steak in the pan. Sear the steak for two minutes. Turn over and continue searing the other side for two minutes. Turn back over and cook to your desired degree of doneness, rare or medium rare only. For rare about an additional 1 minute on each side. For medium-rare about an additional two to three minutes on each side. For medium, or well done see notes. 
   
5. Remove the steak from the pan and allow to rest on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and slice the steak on a bias, crosswise, into strips. Set aside.
   
6. Spoon about half of the dressing over the mix greens and gently toss to coat. Arrange the greens in a mound on two chilled plates and place 4 or 5 slices of steak on the plate, resting on the greens. 
   
7. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the tops of the salads.

Notes

1. If you want a medium or well done steak preheat your oven to 425° F / 220° C.
2. Sear the steak for 2 minutes, turn, and sear another 2 minutes. Turn back over and sear another minute. Turn the steak over and immediately remove the pan from the burner and place it in the oven. Reduce the heat to 400° F / 205° C. Allow the steak to finish in the oven.
3. If you have a probe thermometer, off heat, insert the probe into the center of the steak before you put it in the oven. Set the thermometer to your desired temperature and remove it when the thermometer registers that temperature. Allow the steak to rest on a rack while you finish the salad.
4. If you don't have a probe thermometer, you can time the steak. Approximately, 4  to 5 minutes for medium, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-well, and 7 to 10 minutes for well done. Remove the steak when it is done and allow it to rest on a rack while you finish the salad.

The Origin Of The Steak Salad Recipe

According to Jerry's Curb Service, a drive-in restaurant in Pennsylvania, Donna Reed the wife of the owner, created the steak salad, in the early 60's. It eventually became so popular that now it can be found on restaurant menus all over the country, and now there are a variety of steak salad recipes online, all because of that one mystery customer.

You can read the story on Jerry's Curb Service website.