During the summers of my youth, chef’s salads with big cubes of deli ham and Swiss cheese were a regular dinner refrain. For all the years since, I’ve enjoyed big dinner salads that combine greens, veggies and/or fruit, and some meat. Salads with leftover — or freshly grilled, just for the occasion — steak are the perfect example, and make a pretty great meal for Dad on Father’s Day. A version with radicchio and plums is vibrant and gorgeous; another incorporates that classic complement to steak, blue cheese.
While the grilled flank steak recipe is separate here, keep in mind that for the second recipe you’ll have other ingredients to grill along with the steak.
Simple Grilled Flank Steak
Serves 6
If you don’t want to grill, you can certainly cook the steak indoors, in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), filmed with neutral oil, over medium-high heat. Cooking time should be about the same as on the grill.
1½ pounds flank steak
Salt and pepper
Neutral oil, for the grill grate
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes. (If using a gas grill, leave the burners on high and grill with the lid closed.) Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, lightly score both sides of the steak with a ½-inch crosshatch pattern, about 1/8 inch deep, and sprinkle ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper evenly over each side of the steak.
Clean and oil the grate and grill the steak directly over the flame until it is well seared, grill-marked, and cooked rare or medium-rare (the interior registers 120 to 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 10 to 16 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes. Cut the steak in half lengthwise and slice both halves very thin, against the grain and on the bias. Add to salads at room temperature.
Grilled Steak and Radicchio Salad With Plums and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Serves 6
Adapted from Where There’s Smoke by Barton Seaver (Sterling Epicure). Red-flesh plums are particularly striking, though a mixture of red and gold fruit looks great, too. Seaver suggests sprinkling the salad with a tiny bit of ground nutmeg, which I’ve made optional. It’s unusual, but goes nicely with the plums and red wine.
¾ cup thinly sliced red onion
1½ cups pinot noir or other light- to medium-bodied dry red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium heads radicchio, cored and torn into roughly 2-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
2 cups torn flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 medium ripe plums (about ¾ pound), preferably with red flesh; halved, pitted, and halves very thinly sliced
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1 recipe Simple Grilled Flank Steak
In a small bowl, cover the onion with cool water, soak for about 30 minutes, drain, blot dry, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, bring the wine and vinegar to a strong simmer. Adjust the heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about ¼ cup, about 18 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
In medium nonreactive bowl, whisk the reduced wine mixture, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Vigorously whisk in the oil.
In a very large bowl, toss the radicchio, parsley, most of the sliced plums, and most of the red onion with about two-thirds of the dressing to coat. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the salad on a large serving platter to form a bed for the meat. Dust sparingly with grated nutmeg, if using. Arrange the sliced steak attractively over the salad, drizzle with the remaining dressing, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, top with the remaining plum slices and red onion, and serve at once.
Grilled Steak and Endive Salad With Grilled Onions, Watercress, and Blue Cheese
Serves 6
Dress and assemble salad just before serving — once dressed, watercress doesn’t hold well.
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
Salt and pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium Belgian endives, halved and chopped into ½-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
4 cups (lightly packed) watercress leaves and small stems (1 large bunch, 10 to 12 ounces)
3 large celery ribs, bias-cut into very thin slices (about 2¼ cups)
2 large onions, cut into ¾-inch-thick slices, threaded onto skewers, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, grilled until tender and grill-marked, and grilled slices cut into quarters
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 recipe Simple Grilled Flank Steak
In a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Vigorously whisk in the oil.
In a very large bowl, toss the endives, watercress, celery, grilled onions, and most of the crumbled blue cheese with about two-thirds of the dressing to coat. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the salad on a large serving platter to form a bed for the meat. Arrange the sliced steak attractively over the salad, drizzle with the remaining dressing, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and the remaining blue cheese, and serve at once.
Piquant Grilled Steak and Potato Salad
Serves 6
2 pounds small creamer or Red Bliss potatoes (about 2 dozen, 1½ to 2 inches in diameter), scrubbed and halved
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Neutral oil, for the grill grate
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
4 oil-packed anchovies, minced (about 1 scant tablespoon)
1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
¼ cup roughly chopped cornichons
1 recipe Simple Grilled Flank Steak
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 bunch scallions (about 8 medium), trimmed, whites thinly sliced and greens cut into 1-inch lengths (about 12/3 cups total)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 medium head Boston or butter lettuce, washed, dried, and leaves torn into 2- to 3-inch pieces (about 10 cups, loosely packed)
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the potatoes on high until just barely tender, about 5 minutes, tossing gently to redistribute about halfway through cooking time. When cool enough to handle, thread skewers with the potato halves (piercing the potatoes so that the skewer runs parallel with the cut sides and all the cut sides face the same way). Brush the potatoes all over with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes. (If using gas, adjust the burners to medium-high and grill with the lid closed.) Clean and oil the grill grate and grill the skewers until the potatoes are tender and lightly charred, about 10 minutes, turning two or three times through grilling time. When cool enough to handle, remove the potatoes from the skewers and set them aside.
In a medium nonreactive bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, anchovies, garlic, cornichons, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Vigorously whisk in the remaining olive oil.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, steak, celery, scallion whites, and most of the parsley with about two-thirds of the dressing to coat. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
In a very large bowl, toss the lettuce and scallion greens with the remaining dressing to coat. Taste the greens and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and line a large serving platter with the dressed greens to form a bed. Arrange the steak-and-potato mixture attractively on the bed of greens, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve at once.
Related:
• Food-savvy dads at the stove
• Recipe for chaat-style Indian nachos
• Recipe for Grandma Ruth’s macaroni and cheese
Adam Ried appears regularly on “America’s Test Kitchen.” Send comments to cooking@globe.com.