Grilled Flank Steak Salad
This great grilling in the back yard flank steak makes a salad that is beautiful and satisfying. Teamed with your favorite lettuces and grilled vegetables, bleu cheese, and my simple Balsamic Vinaigrette you can enjoy a great steak and salad with layers of flavor. In this recipe I list the vegetables that I like to use, but as I said you can use your favorites. Often, I make this spontaneously, using whatever grilling vegetables I have on hand. That means zuchinni, eggplant, summer squash, bell peppers. You could grill a banana pepper here and really kick your salad up a notch. I would cut those thinly after grilling though.
The vinaigrette is super easy, and as I have said before, I love making it from scratch because I know what is in it. That means no sugar, no preservatives, and no xanthan gum. This dressing keeps really well, so as a time saver I often make several of my dressings at a time, and hold them in the refrigerator until I am ready to use them. And, because I use them as marinades for grilling items, I use them all within a few days. Especially in the spring and summer. However, I grill in January too!
If you are not familiar with flank steak you should know that it is easy to prepare, but can be tricky for some. The flank comes from the abdominal area of the cow and the muscle is well used and lean. This means that there is not a lot of internal fat to melt away and baste the steak as it cooks. Therefore, this steak is best prepared on the rarer side. That means if you like well done steak, this may not be the best cut for you. The other important step to remember when serving flank steak is that it should be cut thinly, and across the grain. The grain of the flank steak has a much coarser appearance than other steaks and is quite visible. If you cut "with the grain", each bite will consist of long strands and be difficult to chew.
Another important step when preparing this steak is to let it rest for at least 5 minutes before you slice it. If you remove it from the grill and slice it right away, much of the juice and flavor will be forced out of the steak into a puddle on your cutting board. When a steak is cooking, all of its moisture is expanding and trying to force its way out. Allowing it to rest for a few minutes will give the steak time to cool slightly and begin to draw the juices back in. Of course it is important to season the steak well. Flank steak loves garlic, and cracked pepper, and course salt. So, follow these few simple steps when preparing the flank steak, and you will serve a memorable salad to your family!
- 3/8 cups olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 whole flank steak (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 whole yellow onion, sliced
- 1 whole red bell pepper, quartered
- 1 whole yellow squash, sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 8 ounces bleu cheese
- 5 ounces assorted greens
- 1 whole beefsteak tomato, cut in wedges
- 4 each hard boiled eggs
Place all ingredients into immersion blender canister and blend until combined.
Alternatively, this step can be completed in a blender. Add all ingredients except olive oil. Turn blender on low and drizzle oil in to emulsify. This dressing can be prepared in a traditional dressing cruet and shaken, however the emulsion will separate rather quickly.
Grill all vegetables on both sides until tender.
Set aside to cool.
Grill flank steak until desired doneness is achieved. If you cook the steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes it will carry over to 140 degrees. This will yield a doneness of medium rare to medium.
While steak rests combine mixed greens and vegetables, and toss lightly with dressing. Taste. If needed season with salt and pepper.
Arrange salad equally on serving plates.
Slice rested flank steak across the grain, thinly and place on greens. Garnish with halved hardboiled egg.