Steak Salad with Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette [Intro to Cooking]

This week’s recipe comes to you from the almost empty shelves of my fridge, from between a series of afternoon naps, and from a hankering for fresh greens. This is the first summer that I have been entirely in control of the food I eat, and as a result, my love for fresh vegetables has multiplied. I have been gobbling up the summer’s offerings like they are going out of style, or should I say, season. For this recipe, I prefer a mixture of bibb lettuce, arugula, and spinach. This salad is also a perfect opportunity to use up the last of your berries sitting in your fridge; strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries would be a welcome addition.
Ingredients
Dressing

• 7-8 cherry or 3-4 campari tomatoes
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. minced garlic

Salad

• 4-6 oz.  flank steak per serving, seasoned with salt and pepper
• mixed greens
• Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Instructions
Dressing

1. After washing and trimming tomatoes, crush in a bowl to extract juices. Remove meat and skin of tomato and set aside.
2. Add vinegar and mustard to the tomato juice. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
3. Add garlic and honey, mix well.
4. Subtle additions of basil and other herbs are welcome! Set aside vinaigrette until assembly.

Salad

1. Wash and dry greens thoroughly.
2. Roughly chop the remaining tomato meat and skins. Toss with greens.
3. After allowing steak to come to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, sear steak with just a smidgen of olive oil in a (preferably) cast iron skillet for 1 1/2 minutes  on each side. (More detailed instructions on how to properly cook a steak.)
4. Allow steak to rest for 7-10 minutes.
5. Assemble greens and tomatoes in large serving bowl.
6. Slice steak thinly, place on bed of greens and top with slices of Parmesan.
7. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad immediately before serving.

Pro Tips

1. Flank, sirloin, and skirt are all suitable cuts for this recipe. But of course, use what you have!
2. Due to my preference, the above instructions are for a medium to medium rare steak. The included link will give more information about cook times.
3. Honey may be substituted with agave nectar or maple syrup.
4. If you are feeling fancy, substitute bacon fat for a tablespoon or two of the olive oil.

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