Marinated Flank Steak Salad

Marinated Flank Steak Salad

Have on hand

1.5 pound flank or skirt steak
1 very small red onion or 2 large shallots, peeled, sliced very thin
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, diced
1 ripe tomato, cored and diced
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley (optional), chopped
A few leaves basil (optional)
3 cups spinach, washed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

3 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane or very finely chopped
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or honey
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Dijon Vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

In a large sealable zip bag, combine the steak and marinade, seal and smoosh around to mix ingredients. Transfer to refrigerator overnight, or if using right away, allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile make the vinaigrette by combining the mustard and vinegar in medium bowl, and whisking continuously, slowly add the oil. Alternately, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake that jar like a professional bartender. Shake-shake-shake! Done.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the bag, pat dry with paper towels, and crank a few good turns of pepper over each side. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (the pan might smoke, but don’t worry), and immediately place the steak in the pan. Don’t move it. As much as you want to, don’t. Cook for approximately five to six minutes. You want there to be a crust forming a little bit, but not so hot that it burns. Flip the steak and continue to cook for an additional five minutes, then remove the steak from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes to rest. (Flank and and skirt steaks are best eaten medium-rare, so don’t go crazy and cook it for too long.)

For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the herbs and all the vegetables except the spinach, and using your hands (yes, your clean hands), dress the salad using only enough dressing to coat. Again, don’t go crazy. Dressing it early will mellow out the pungency of the onion. Season to taste. Just prior to serving, add the spinach and serve.  Or, to wilt the spinach, heat the dressing in a pan and pour over the salad.

Slice the steak against the grain, and at a slight diagonal. Not straight down, but rather, at a slight angle. Oh yeah. Now that’s a tender steak! Place steak slices on top of each salad, and serve.