Seared Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Crispy Onions

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

One 12-ounce sirloin, hard-seared in cast iron, rested, and sliced thin against the grain, feeds two people generously when it's fanned over greens. Sharp blue cheese, sweet cherry tomatoes, a mustardy red wine vinaigrette, and a handful of homemade crispy onions turn a single steak into a full dinner salad — the kind steakhouses charge fourteen dollars for at lunch.

Ingredients

• 12 oz top sirloin or flat iron steak, about 1 inch thick
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)

• 1 small yellow onion or 2 large shallots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup neutral oil, for frying

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper

• 6 cups sturdy salad greens (romaine, arugula, or a spring mix)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley

Instructions

1. Pull the steak out of the refrigerator, pat it very dry with paper towels, and season all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes while you prep everything else — a dry, room-temperature steak is the whole secret to a good crust.
2. Fry the onions first so the oil is free later. Toss the sliced onion with the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until lightly coated, shaking off the excess. Heat 1/2 cup neutral oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-high until it shimmers and a test slice bubbles immediately, about 350°F. Fry the onions in 2 batches, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes per batch until golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper-towel-lined plate and salt lightly. They crisp further as they cool.
3. Make the vinaigrette: whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, and minced shallot in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Heat a cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over medium-high for 3 full minutes, until a drop of water skitters. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil, swirl, and lay in the steak. Do not move it. Sear 3 to 4 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
5. Flip the steak, add the butter, smashed garlic, and thyme, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, tilting the pan and spooning the foaming butter over the top. Pull at 125°F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 130 to 135°F for medium. A 1-inch steak usually gets there in 7 to 9 minutes total.
6. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered. This is non-negotiable: resting keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the board, which matters even more when one steak is stretched across two plates.
7. While the steak rests, toss the greens, tomatoes, and cucumber with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette in a large bowl — just enough to coat the leaves. Divide between two wide shallow bowls or dinner plates.
8. Find the direction of the muscle fibers in the steak and slice across them at a slight angle, 1/4 inch thick. Fan the slices over each salad, spoon any board juices and the remaining vinaigrette over the meat, then scatter with the blue cheese, crispy onions, and chives. Serve right away, while the onions are still crunchy.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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