Welp, we kind of knew it was coming. You know how
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Duh.
One of my absolute favorite things about Poe's menu is that in addition to regular burger cheeses you can add roasted garlic blue to any sandwich, which is just like what it sounds: roasted garlic mashed with blue cheese served in a little scoop on top of your sandwich and BOOM I'M DEAD LET'S GO BACK TOMORROW.
I don't know. The flavor combo is ridiculous. I like blue cheese but only in pretty small doses, and the addition of the roasted garlic really mellows the flavor. THEN I sold a few steak salads this week for catering and decided that the flavor combo really needed to be on top of a salad, and this vinaigrette was born.
Warning: I'm not done with roasted garlic blue ANYTHING yet. Just be prepared.
Let's get to this salad first. We've got the steak, the dressing, and the salad to work on. I like to make the dressing while the steak is marinating, then make the salad (any veggies you like!) while the steak is cooking and resting, then slice the meat and serve it all up. You can make the salad dressing well in advance, though!
For the dressing, you'll need blue cheese or gorgonzola, a lemon, a whole head of garlic, and olive oil. You'll also need water and salt and pepper, but you don't need those in a picture, right? Right.
Roast the garlic first! Put the whole bulb wrapped in tin foil in the oven at 425F for 30 minutes until it's super garlicky smelling all over your house. Then remove the garlic from the oven and let it cool until you can handle it.
When the garlic is cool, cut it in half crosswise.
Then, squish all of the cloves into a small blender or food processor.
Repeat with the lemon juice.
And cut off a hunk of blue cheese.
Add the blue cheese, olive oil, water, and salt and pepper to the food processor.
Then, blend up the dressing! Taste it, and add more salt and pepper if you'd like, or another splash of water to thin it out. This makes enough dressing for 4 salads, so you might want to double the recipe if you want leftovers!
Now, onto the steak which you can also start while the garlic is roasting but I'm showing it to you this way because it's less confusing that way I think. Or not. You need steak! Any kind you like, ¼ pound or a little bit more per person. You also need olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Easy!
Get the steak all pretty-like on a platter to marinate.
Then, pour over the olive oil, balsamic, and Worcestershire.
Ready! Let this marinate for 30 minutes or even longer if you have the time.
When you're ready to cook, preheat a skillet or grill to medium-high heat for at least 10 minutes. We want a good sizzle! When the pan is super hot, add the steak to the skillet and DON'T TOUCH IT. These steaks are about ¾ inch thick and 5 minutes on each side is perfect for medium rare. But, how long you cook your steak will depend on how you like it done and what kind of steak you use AND how hot your pan or grill is.
When the steaks are nicely grilled and browned on the first side, flip them to the other side to finish.
Then, remove them to a plate to rest.
While the steaks are resting, prep any raw salad ingredients you like. I went for an all green theme because that's what was going on in my fridge.
When the steak has rested for about 10 minutes, very thinly slice it against the grain.
We're all ready! I like to serve the salad, dressing, and steak separately so everyone can build their own.
To serve, heap some steak over some salad...
...then drizzle the dressing right on top.
Since the dressing is full of really strong flavors you don't need a ton - just a little bit to mix in with the steak and greens.
That, my friends, is a SALAD. The strong flavors of the dressing are wonderful with seared steak, and the veg makes it feel like a sexy health food. Instead of a dull health food, obv.
Make this soon!
Recipe
Balsamic Steak Salad with Roasted Garlic Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 bulb garlic
- 2 ounces blue cheese or gorgonzola
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons water plus more if needed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- FOR THE STEAK SALAD
- 1 pound steak your choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 12 cup salad greens and assorted raw veggies your choice
Instructions
- For the dressing, wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and roast at 425F for 30 minutes until soft and tender. Let cool, then cut the bulb in half crosswise. Squeeze the cloves into a blender or small food processor. Add the cheese, olive oil, water, and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree to form a dressing, and taste: add more salt and pepper if you'd like, or extra water to thin the dressing if needed.
- For the steak, drizzle with the olive oil, balsamic, and Worcestershire. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Grill or pan sear over medium-high heat to desired doneness, then let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and serve over top of the salad greens. Drizzle with the dressing.
- Enjoy!
Atlas
Nothing like a good steak salad! I like to add a little horseradish sauce/dressing to my steak salads. Great recipe, though!