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Wedge Salad with Steak Tips

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"There's a reason that the wedge salad is such a classic and enduring menu item at American restaurants; the combo of crunchy iceberg lettuce, tangy blue cheese, and crispy bacon has a lot to recommend it. To turn the salad into a bona fide dinner, we added meaty steak tips in a nod to its steakhouse roots. Since the flavor of the cheese is front and center, this is a time to spring for a good one. We prefer Stilton, but you can substitute any high-quality blue cheese. This salad is best when the iceberg wedges are cold, so leave the lettuce in the fridge until the steak is done cooking. Sirloin steak tips, also known as flap meat, can be sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. To ensure uniform pieces, we prefer to purchase whole steaks and cut them ourselves."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ ¾ cup plain yogurt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
â—¦ 3 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled (¾ cup)
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, minced
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 head iceberg lettuce
â—¦ 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives


Recipe

Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and well rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and remove skillet from heat, leaving rendered bacon fat in skillet.

Whisk yogurt, vinegar, ½ cup Stilton, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl to combine.

Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat bacon fat in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add steak and cook until well browned on all sides and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 7 minutes. Transfer to plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

While steak rests, cut lettuce into eight wedges and remove cores.

Arrange lettuce wedges and steak tips on individual serving dishes and drizzle with dressing. Top with tomatoes, bacon, and remaining ¼ cup Stilton. Sprinkle with chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Serves 4