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This is a really cool twist on steak night. Rach serves the sliced meat, roasted eggplant, broiled tomato and arugula with a bright, citrusy za'atar dressing that makes everything taste even better. She whisks up her own with a bunch of dried herbs, seasonings, lemon juice and EVOO, but you can also buy dressing with za'atar in it. Rach describes the meal as healthy, beautiful and elegant (perfect for entertaining). If that isn't enough to get you to try it, how about this: "This dish is so simple," she adds, "it's kind of stupid-silly."  

For more of Rachael’s most popular steak recipes, check out her Pinwheel Steaks and Pepper Steak

Ingredients

For the Eggplant and Tomatoes:
  • 2 medium firm eggplant, sliced ¼-½ inch thick
  • Salt and pepper 
  • Non-aerosol EVOO spray
  • 4 large firm beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
For the Za'atar Dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons ground sumac
  • 2 teaspoons EACH:
  • Dried cilantro or parsley
  • Dried dill
  • Ground cumin and ground coriander
  • Dried oregano
  • Granulated garlic and onion
  • Red chili flakes
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup EVOO
For the Steaks and to Serve:
  • Four 10- to 12-ounce bavette, flank or flat-iron steaks
  • Salt and coarse pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • Non-aerosol cooking spray
  • 8 cups watercress or arugula

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Heat oven to 450°F.   

For the eggplant and tomatoes, arrange eggplant on parchment-lined baking sheet. Add salt and pepper and spray evenly with oil. Roast until brown, about 18 minutes, turning once.   

Arrange tomatoes on another baking sheet, dress with EVOO and season with salt, pepper and thyme.   

Switch on broiler and char tomatoes 5 minutes, then remove.   

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in bowl with a whisk.   

For the steak, rest out of refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes and season liberally with salt and pepper. 

Rachael Ray 12-Inch Cast Iron Frying Pan

Rachael Ray 12-Inch Cast Iron Frying Pan

Rachael Ray
$45

Halve the lemon and heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steaks 8 to 10 minutes, turning once for medium-rare. Char lemon last 2 minutes of cooking time.   

Let meat rest 5 to 10 minutes and slice. To serve, top meat, greens, eggplant and tomatoes with juice of the charred lemon and dressing.