Strawberries aren't just for dessert, and, if the Northeast ever gets a break in the weather, the local strawberry season will be just around the corner. That said, the California-grown Driscoll's strawberries I found in the grocery store yesterday are plump and sweet, and, one of the man-sized flank steaks my husband picked up at Sam's Club today are going to team up for a hearty, sweet-and-savory, main-dish salad for a delightfully-carnivorous Sunday dinner this evening.
Strawberries are no stranger to salads -- spinach and strawberry salads with poppyseed dressing were trendy on restaurant menus back in the 1970's. Because of those spinach salads, I began experimenting with strawberries, when appropriate, in place of tomatoes, in select recipes. There's more. When it's a main-dish salad I'm wanting, unlike many, who pair salads containing strawberries with mild-flavored proteins like chicken or shrimp, as a card-carrying carnivore, trust me when I tell you, the strawberry holds it own next to bold-flavored meats like beef and lamb.
Something sweet, savory, salty & super-crunchy too:
For the salad:
1 2-2 1/2-pound flank steak, broiled and rested as directed in my recipe for Melanie's Perfectly-Cooked 18-Minute Flank Steak
3-4 whole heads hearts-of-romaine, the "hearts" being the inner leaves from the typical bushy head (about 12-16 ounces total weight), leaves torn into small, bite-sized pieces or cut chiffonade-style (into 1/2" strips or ribbons), washed, dried (preferably through a salad spinner) and chilled until very crisp
2-3 cups baby arugula leaves
1-1 1/2 cups very thinly-sliced (shaved) red onion, cut into half-moon shapes, half-moons cut in halves or thirds
2-2 1/2 cups ripe, hulled strawberries, sliced 1/4"-thick
1-1 1/2 cups blue cheese crumbles
1-1 1/2 cups (about 8-ounces) store-bought or homemade candied pecans
~Step 1. Place a 2-pound flank steak on a disposable aluminum broiler pan and season with sea saltand peppercorn blend. Place 5 1/2"-6" under preheated broiler for exactly 9 minutes. Remove from oven, flip steak over (there's no need to season the second side), return to broiler and cook 9 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 9 minutes. Holding a chef's knife at a 30º angle, slice steak into thin, 1/8"-1/4" thick strips. Note: This is enough meat for one large or six individual, main-dish salads. To make it ahead, wrap cooked, rested and unsliced flank steak in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Return to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then warm it (warm not hot) in microwave, about 90 seconds.
~ Step 2. Slice flank steak in half lengthwise, then, while holding the knife at a 30º oven, thinly-slice each half into thin (1/8"-1/4"-thick) strips. Roll each strip up roulade-style*. *Note: A roulade (roo-LAHD) is a fancy French term for a thin slice of raw or cooked meat rolled around a filling then secured with some kitchen twine or a toothpick. If the meat is raw, the roulade is cooked after rolling, if the meat is cooked, the roulade is ready for serving.
~Step 3. To assemble one large or six individual-sized salads, on one large platter or six salad plates, layer and arrange the ingredients, in the following order: The greens (romaine and arugula that have been briefly tossed together), red onion, strawberries, beef roulades, blue cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle with strawberry vinaigrette (recipe below) and serve with additional dressing at tableside:
All dressed up in a tangy & sweet, very-berry vinaigrette:
For the strawberry vinaigrette:
8-10 ounces fresh strawberries, cut into quarters (8-10 ounces after removing leafy green tops)
10 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup strawberry jam or strawberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-3/4 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
~Step 1. Place the strawberries in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Using a series of 15-20 rapid on-off pulses followed by the motor running for 15-20 seconds, puree the strawberries. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the vegetable oil. With motor running, process until thoroughly combined and smooth. With motor running, through the feed tube and in a slow, steady stream, drizzle in the vegetable oil. Dressing will be smooth and emulsified, and, there will be a generous 2 1/2 cups. Leftovers (if there is leftover vinaigrette) store great in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Tied-together in every delightfully-colorful Springtime bite:
Strawberry, Steak, Blue-Chees and Arugula Salad: Recipe yields 2 1/2 cups dressing and 6-8 large, main-dish servings of salad.
Special Equipment List: 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" disposable aluminum broiler pan (the kind with the corrugated bottom); cutting board; chef's knife; food processor
Cook's Note: Want a super-easy super-strawberry Spring-Summer dessert to serve after your salad? Nothing could be finer than my super-special recipe for ~ Creamy-Dreamy No-Bake Strawberry Key-Lime Pie ~. Think Spring. Sigh.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)
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