Laura’s favorite steak salad

Why don’t I make this more often? It’s SO good. I picked up sirloin steak because it was buy one get one free, but I’ve use skirt steak in the past (and flank would work, too). I used my cast iron skillet to cook the steak. If you don’t already own a cast iron skillet, I highly recommend getting one! My steak came out medium, so adjust cooking times if you like it more or less cooked. You could nix the shallots (raw red onion would be yummy), swap feta for goat cheese, gorgonzola or blue cheese, use fresh blueberries or cherries instead of dried cranberries…the possibilities are endless. You’ll have leftover vinaigrette, but it will keep well in the fridge for a week or so.

Steak salad 
with crispy shallots, sugared pecans, dried cranberries and feta cheese
makes two generous portions

a little under 1 lb. steak (this gives each person a LOT of steak—which was awesome—but you can certainly use less)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp butter
3/4 bag of mixed spring greens
1 shallot, chopped into rings
1/4 cup chopped sugared pecans (you can buy these at the store or make them yourself. They keep well!)
1/8 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp feta cheese
salt and pepper

for the dressing, shake the following in a jar:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey (add more honey to taste if needed)
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Rub steak with vegetable oil and generously sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Let the steak sit on the counter 10-30 minutes under some plastic wrap—long enough for the steak to come to room temperature.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 350 and place a dry large cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat.
3. Rub some butter in the pan—just enough for it to coat the pan and stat bubbling. Place your steak in the pan and leave it alone for three minutes.
4. Flip the steak and cook for two and a half more minutes.
5. Move steak to your preheated oven (still in the cast iron skillet) and cook for three minutes. Use a meat thermometer if you’re unsure if your steak is cooked enough. If it’s not, you can pop it back in the oven and check on it every minute or so.
5. Remove steak from the pan and let it rest while you prepare the salad, shallots and vinaigrette.
6. Fry shallot rings in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat for several minutes, stirring until they are brown and crispy. Move shallots to a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
7. Mix up vinaigrette and combine salad ingredients (minus the steak). Pour a few tablespoons of dressing over the salad.
8. Before serving, slice the steak against the grain and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if needed. I found it helpful to mix the salad up a little after adding the steak. This helped to further distribute the vinaigrette and kept the pecans, cheese and cranberries from congregating at the bottom of the bowl.

ENJOY! I know you will. :)