Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese

I knew my husband would like this recipe as soon as I saw it.  Steak and blue cheese...it's exactly his kind of recipe.  It didn't hurt that I also threw in a few beets for good measure (beets just happen to be one of his favorite vegetables). I love that it's a salad so you instantly get a few servings of vegetables in for the day (just make sure you're not using iceberg lettuce!).

This recipe also ended up being a blessing in disguise because we didn't end up getting home last night until almost 8 pm.  Luckily, since I had prepped the meat and roasted the beets the day before, all I had to do was cook the meat for a few minutes and shred some lettuce.  And not only was it a quick meal, it was a delicious one! My husband crowned it a 5-star meal, the highest of praises.  He's already requested that we have it again soon.

We used grass fed beef from our farmers market and it was delicious! It was incredibly flavorful AND it's much better for you.  Obviously, it's more expensive so I only cooked less than half a pound and a little went a long (and very delicious) way.

Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4 (I halved this recipe very easily)

• 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat if necessary, halved crosswise, at room temperature
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (or if you're like me and not a blue cheese fan, use feta cheese as a great substitute)
• 1/2 pound greens - baby arugula, spinach, romaine, etc.
• 3 tablespoons minced chives or finely chopped red onion (you can also use 2 thinly sliced scallions)
• 3-4 beets, previously roasted, peeled and sliced
• Steak Salad Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

-If you want beets, make sure they are fully cooked at this point!
-Pat steak dry; season on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and many grinds of black pepper.
-Ways to prepare steak: 

• In a cast-iron skillet: Heat skillet on medium-high to high and add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, place steak in skillet and do not move it for 3-5 minutes (judge by the thickness of your steak; my steak was thin so 3 minutes was plenty). Turn it once, and cook for another 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (mine only needed 1-2 minutes). You may need to cook your steak halves separately, depending on the size of your pan.
• On a grill: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal or high heat for gas. Oil grill rack, then grill steak, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, 3 to 6 minutes total for medium-rare.

-Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for five minutes.
-Arrange lettuce on a large platter.
-Thinly slice steak on the diagonal, across the grain. Arrange over arugula, then toss halved cherry tomatoes, sliced beets and blue cheese over platter.  Sprinkle with chives/scallions/red onion. Serve with vinaigrette on the side or lightly toss salad just before serving.

Steak Salad Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil

-Whisk ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and adjust ingredients to taste.  Serve on side.