Steak Cobb Salad
Okay, the truth is, I’m not a big fan of lettuce, but I love steak. So this recipe was my mom’s way of getting me to eat salad. She figured if she put enough stuff on it that I liked, I wouldn’t notice the lettuce. Well, I’m not that stupid—I noticed the lettuce. But, her strategy worked, and I will admit (grudgingly) that this salad is good.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Croutons
Salad
Vinaigrette
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Combine the butter and garlic powder in a small bowl and pour over the bread cubes. Toss the bread cubes until they are evenly coated and bake them for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Step 3
To prepare the salad: Gently place the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover them completely with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs stand in the water until they are cool. Peel the eggs and dice them into 1/4-inch pieces.
Step 4
Meanwhile, cut the bacon into 1/4-inch-thick strips and place them in a sauté pan. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Step 5
Cut the avocados in half and sink the knife blade a bit into the pit and wriggle the knife slightly to pop the pit out. Beginning at the larger end of the avocado, slide a spoon between the skin and flesh and gently remove the flesh from each half. Dice the avocado into 1/2-inch pieces.
Step 6
Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds, and dice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
Step 7
Preheat the grill or broiler to high heat.
Step 8
Place some of the salad mix in the center of each plate. Working from the center of the plate and leaving space for the steak, form rows of croutons, tomato, and egg on one side of the plate, and avocado, cheese, and bacon on the other side.
Step 9
Season the sirloin with salt and pepper and place it on the grill or under the broiler. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to the desired doneness. Remove the steak and let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut the steak into 1/2-inch cubes and place them in a row down the center of each plate.
Step 10
To prepare the vinaigrette: Peel the shallot and dice it into 1/8-to 1/4-inch pieces. Place the shallots and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salads.
Kitchen tips
Step 11
Cooking steaks to the doneness you want them can be intimidating because it depends on the thickness of the steak and the temperature of your grill or broiler. We have a gas grill that gets really hot, so we use the rule of thumb that you cook 2 minutes per side for rare, 3 for medium-rare, 4 for medium, 5 for medium-well, and 6 if you like hockey pucks. But if you still aren’t sure, stick a knife in it and look.
