Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Steak-Swap Cobb Salad -- 05/19/10

Steak-Swap Cobb Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 small strip steaks, 8-10 ounces
  • Salt and pepper
  • EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus about 1/2 cup
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped or 1/4 to 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 lemons or 3 limes
  • 1 large shallot, peeled
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or minced and pasted
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 heart romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 1 small bundle watercress leaves, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 2 baby Vidalia onions or 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
  • 2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, seeded and diced or sliced

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Bring steaks to room temp and season with salt and pepper. Heat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat or broiler. When you’re about ready to eat, dress meat with a drizzle of oil and cook steaks 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 12 minutes, turning once, for well done.

Let meat rest while you combine chopped parsley or cilantro and zest of 1 lemon or 2 limes. Slice each steak thinly against the grain and dress sliced steaks with herb, garlic and zest mixture, the juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime, another drizzle of oil and a little more salt.

Grate shallot and garlic into a bowl and add mustard, Worcestershire, tomato paste and warm water then whisk to combine. Add vinegar and pour in EVOO, about 1/2 cup, in a slow stream while you whisk the dressing to emulsify it. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Combine the lettuces in a bowl with dressing and blue cheese. Arrange dressed greens on individual plates and top with arrangement of sliced meat across the center. Place the tomatoes mixed with scallions along one side and the eggs and avocados along the opposite side. Dress the avocado with the juice of 1/2 lemon or a lime before arranging on salad to keep it form browning on the plate.