Grilled Steak Caesar Salad

A Chicago restaurateur for more than 30 years and one of this season’s Top Chef Masters contestants, Rick Tramonto is a widely honored chef whose influence is seen in some of the city’s most popular restaurants. Now you can sample the chef’s winning style by cooking from his new book, Steak With Friends: At Home, With Rick Tramanto, written with coauthor Mary Goodbody. You’ll find recipes not only for steak but all the right accompaniments, from sides to desserts, each, like this dish, perfect for entertaining.

When you’re in the mood for a main-course salad, try this one on for size. A perfect fit, I am sure. If you want a side salad, leave off the steak and enjoy the classic Caesar salad—or add grilled chicken, shrimp, or salmon for an entirely different dish. I prefer crispy romaine hearts—the inner leaves of the large heads—rather than the darker, outer leaves, but both work well. When you make the salad with steak, be sure to pepper the meat generously and get a nice char on it as it grills. Just about any cut of steak works with Caesar salad, but my favorites are skirt steak, filet, and sirloin. Cut the meat across the grain and enjoy a feast of cheesy, garlicky, meaty, peppery, lemony flavors. If you really don’t like anchovies, you can forget about them, but they add such depth I hope you don’t. I use white anchovies, called boquerones all across Spain and pretty easy to find on this side of the Atlantic, too.

Serves 4

Steak and Marinade
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 jalapeño peppers, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon cracked fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 steaks (such as skirt, filet, or sirloin), 6 to 8 ounces each

Dressing
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
6 white anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

To marinate the steaks: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, onion, cilantro, parsley, garlic, jalapeños, salt, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cayenne and process until smooth. Reserve 3 tablespoons for later use.

Put the steaks in a large, shallow glass or ceramic dish or pan, cover with the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Prepare a clean, well-oiled charcoal or gas grill so that the coals or heat element are medium hot. Or heat the broiler.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, mix together the Parmesan, eggs, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire. Process for about 30 seconds. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube until the sauce is emulsified. Use right away or transfer to a lidded glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

To grill the steaks: Remove the steaks from the marinade and let the excess drip off into the pan. Discard the marinade. Grill the steaks, turning once, for a total of 10 to 15 minutes for medium rare, or to the degree of doneness you prefer. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak. Let the steaks rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes before slicing.

To make the salad: Fill a deep skillet or saucepan about halfway with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook the haricots verts for about 2 minutes, or just until blanched and bright green. Drain, plunge into a bowl of ice and water, and drain again.
In a mixing bowl, toss the haricots verts, croutons, romaine, tomatoes, and anchovies with the dressing, being sure to coat the lettuce evenly.

Slice the steaks against the grain and on the diagonal to ensure tenderness.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis for four 4-ounce servings of fat-trimmed skirt steak, assuming half of the marinade is absorbed/consumed: Calories: 482; Total Fat: 39 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 26 g; Cholesterol: 67 mg; Sodium: 831 mg; Carbohydrates: 2 g; Fiber: 0 g; Protein: 31 g

TD&N Nutrient Analysis for 12 servings of dressing: Calories: 187; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g; Cholesterol: 47 mg; Sodium: 350 mg; Carbohydrates: 1 g; Fiber: 0 g; Protein: 8 g

Used with permission from Steak With Friends: At Home, With Rick Tramonto by Rick Tramonto with Mary Goodbody/Andrews McMeel Publishing, www.andrewsmcmeel.com