Grilled Steak Salad With Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Dressing Recipe
Food Republic has partnered with Bridlewood Estate Winery to bring you some great entertaining and cooking posts. Next up is Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper sharing a recipe for an incredible summery lunch. Elizabeth and Brooklyn Supper can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Everything comes together so simply in the summer. Just as the heat has you ready to take your cooking outdoors, the farmers' market is suddenly overflowing with fresh ingredients that need little more than a few minutes over hot coals to be perfect. The best summer meals take the quickest trip possible from market to grill to a spot on the table next to a glass of wine.
As I prepped the vegetables for this grilled salad the other night, they reminded me how close to the land summer eating can make you feel. The warmth of a tomato as you slice into it, the pungency of a spring onion and even the mild earthy aroma of lettuce all foster such an immediate connection to the farm or garden. And while all that wonderful local produce made for an outstanding supporting cast, the star of this dish is the steak – a heel steak (also known as a merlot steak or a gousse d'ail) that my local butcher recommended as a tender cut that would also be lean enough to keep the salad from feeling greasy or heavy. Like the romaine, tomatoes and carrots, I seasoned it with nothing but salt and pepper because sometimes it's best to let great ingredients speak for themselves. The result was a dinner that offered a real sense of the season and the soil.
And what goes better with a dinner imbued with the flavors of the land than a wine that has the same? I paired this summery grilled salad with Bridlewood Estate Winery's Monterey County Pinot Noir. With a rich aroma and undertones of summer fruit, it lent a depth and complexity to the meal, all with a light, drinkable body that made for a wonderful sip even on a steamy summer evening.
- 2 pounds heel steak
- 1 head garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 bunch green onions
- 4 hearts romaine
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 bunch young carrots
- 1/4 cup rough chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- whole wheat naan (optional)
- Prepare a hot grill.
- Remove steak from refrigerator, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and set aside.
- Drizzle the garlic cloves with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap tightly in a foil packet.
- Trim the roots and tops of the green onions; set aside 4 whole green onions and mince the rest.
- Trim the very top and stem of the romaine hearts, being sure to leave the core intact. Core, deseed and quarter the tomatoes. Trim all but 1/4-inch of the carrot greens, and then peel and halve carrots. Rub all of the vegetables with just a bit of olive oil and sprinkle each with sea salt and pepper.
- When grill is hot enough that you can only hold your hand over it for a few seconds, set the foil packet of garlic over indirect heat and grill for 15 minutes, or until garlic is soft but not at all burnt. Next, grill all of the vegetables until each side is nicely browned, but not burnt, about 2 minutes a side. Finally, grill the steak, cooking each side for 4 minutes for a medium-rare steak. Rest steak for 5-10 minutes, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. If using naan, halve and grill it for 1 minute on each side.
- Mash the grilled garlic with a fork in a medium bowl. Whisk in the mayonnaise, sour cream and Parmesan. Next, whisk in the buttermilk. Finish with 2 tablespoons each minced green onion and parsley, plus sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Break the grilled romaine leaves from the core and divide between four plates. Divide the rest of the grilled vegetables between the plates and top with several slices of steak. Finish with several twists of black pepper, a drizzle of the roasted garlic dressing and the remaining parsley and green onion. Garnish with triangle of grilled naan. Serve immediately.