Grilled Steak with Arugula, Tomato, Blue Cheese, and Shoestring Salad
Like of lot of folks these days, I have gotten away from eating beef very often, but when I do, give me the real deal—a thick, juicy, medium-rare steak sprinkled with good salt. Given a choice between a well-marbled rib eye and a lean center-cut filet, I’ll take the rib eye every time, for the chewy texture and the deep flavor it delivers. Hanger steak, or the “butcher’s tender,” is another cut that lots of restaurants are serving these days as a less expensive but delicious alternative to tenderloin. You probably won’t find it at your average supermarket, but you might find it at an upscale market or a good butcher. It may not look like much, but it cooks up tender and tasty (as long as you don’t cook it past medium). These steaks don’t need any sauce, just something savory to serve alongside—my choices being a pungent salad (with the indulgence of some rich blue cheese) or some broccoli rabe with garlic and olive oil. Hold the baked potato.
I go a little bit light on the salt when preseasoning the steaks, as I like to sprinkle on some coarse sea salt after the steak is cooked. I love the crunch and the way coarse salt brings out the flavor.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 2 servings
Ingredients
Steak
Shoestring Salad
Preparation
Steak
Step 1
Preheat your grill or broiler. At least 10 minutes before cooking, pat the steak dry with paper towels, rub it with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil on high heat to brown and sear the meat, then lower the heat slightly to finish cooking to desired doneness. If you like it rare, you probably don’t have to lower the heat, just get a good sear on both sides and pull it off. If you like it medium-rare to medium, you will want to cook it about 3 minutes per side for a 1-inch-thick piece of meat.
Step 2
If you’re serving rib eye, strip, or filet, serve it whole. For hanger steak, it’s best to let it rest about 3 minutes, then slice it across the grain into thin slices.
Shoestring Salad
Step 3
Peel the potato, cut it crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then cut into thin matchsticks. Rinse the matchsticks thoroughly in cold water, then drain and shake or pat thoroughly dry in a kitchen towel. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until it registers about 350°F. Fry the match-sticks to golden brown and crisp, 4–6 minutes, stirring a little to cook them evenly. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. When they’ve cooled completely, you can store them in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container, and they will stay crisp for several days.
Step 4
Place the arugula and tomato in a bowl and dress with the vinaigrette. Toss, crumble in the blue cheese, and add a big handful of shoestrings. Toss again and serve.
