Grilled Steak and Onion Salad

by Chef s Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard

Grilled steak and onion salad with a soy sauce dressing, plus a selection of additional dressing recipes

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large yellow onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2-inch-wide strips
• Vegetable oil, for basting
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 New York strip steaks (12 ounces each)
• 4 to 5 cups torn pieces of lettuce

Directions

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Make the dressing while the grill is heating: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sherry, hoisin, mustard and olive oil. Set aside.
3. Brush the onion slices and yellow peppers with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables slowly over medium heat until soft and slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Take them off the grill and separate the onion slices into rings.
4. Grill the steak until desired doneness, about 6 minutes on each side for medium. Cut the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
5. Toss the greens with a very light coating of dressing and arrange on a serving platter or individual plates. Spread the onions and peppers on top of the lettuce and arrange the sliced steak attractively on top, allowing the onions and peppers to show through. Drizzle a little more dressing over the salad and serve warm.

Additional Salad Dressings

Parmesan-Pepper Dressing

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Put the lemon juice, Parmesan, garlic, milk, and Worcestershire sauce in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth. With the machine running, add the oil slowly until the dressing is emulsified.
2. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley, and pulse twice to blend.

Sesame Dressing

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, sugar, salt and garlic. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil until well blended.

Caesar Dressing

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.

Melinda and Robert Blanchard note: Look for anchovy paste in convenient tubes. They keep for months in the refrigerator.

Whole-Grained Mustard and Lemon Dressing

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup olive oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified.

This segment appears in show #2811.

Recipes reprinted from At Blanchard's Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook, Harvard Clarkson Potter 2003
© 2003 Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard
Used with permission

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