Such a good salad to have in your repertoire! Just think…sitting outside on a warm night, firing up the grill, having a glass of wine…does it get any better? The dressing can be made a couple of hours ahead. I bought rib steaks from P.E.I. (Prince Edward Island) at a local butcher shop. They were yummy, yummy!
Makes 4 Servings
For the Dressing:
1 medium shallot, minced
½ tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1.2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup walnut oil, or use all EVO
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. EVO
For the Salad:
(2 or 3) 1 ½ ” boneless steaks, depending on the quantity of meat you wish to serve
½ cup toasted walnuts (see below) coarsely chopped
2 Belgian endives, cut crosswise into 1” pieces
1 lb. assorted lettuce such as romaine, arugula, butter lettuce, red lettuce & arugula
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (approx. 1 cup)
Garnish: Very thinly sliced rounds of red onion
Make the Dressing:
In a small saucepan (not aluminum), combine the shallot, rosemary and ½ tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the vinegar and mustard; whisk in the walnut oil and EVO. Arrange the steaks in a large glass or ceramic dish,; pour ¼ cup of the dressing on top, turn the steaks to coat evenly. Let steaks marinate for 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap and leave on the counter not in the fridge.
Preheat your charcoal barbecue or gas barbecue; warm the remaining dressing over low heat; keep warm. Grill the steaks to desired doneness (see below) , remove to a platter and let rest for 5 – 8 minutes.
While the steaks are grilling and resting, toss the salad greens together and place on 4 dinner sized plates. Cut the steaks diagonally across the grain into ¼” thick slices and arrange on the salads; top with the toasted walnuts and blue cheese. Garnish with the slices of red onion, drizzle the warmed dressing over top.
Helpful link to Toasting Nuts. And to see cooking times: Grilling Chart for Meats.
