Description

A flavorful marinated flank steak salad with horseradish dressing is bursting with tastes and textures. A full meal on your plate.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound flank steak

Balsamic Steak Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced (leaves from about 2” of rosemary twig)
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salad
6 cups salad mix, (I usually combine a handful of spring mix with chopped romaine)
3 ounces white or brown bella mushrooms, halved and sliced (about 10)
4 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 English cucumber, sliced into half rounds
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Candied Pecans

2/3 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of kosher salt

Horseradish Dressing

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup creamy horseradish (add 3 tablespoons and taste before adding the last tablespoon)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
1–1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/4 cup Balsamic Glaze, to drizzle on the finished salad

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Instructions

In a gallon-sized zip-close bag, add the ingredients for the balsamic steak marinade and squeeze the bag to combine everything. Add the flank steak. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. I always marinate a flank steak overnight.
In a small bowl whip the heavy cream until it begins to thicken (see the above section about Creamy Horseradish dressing).
In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining dressing ingredients together. (Except hold back 1 tablespoon horseradish.)
Gently fold the thicken cream into the dressing ingredients until combined. Taste and add remaining tablespoon of prepared horseradish as desired. Set aside
To candy the pecans—stir together the sugar, water, vanilla and salt.
In a shallow medium frying pan over medium heat, add the pecans and toast for about 3 minutes while stirring until you smell the nuts toasting.
Drizzle the sugar mixture over the pecans, while stirring the nuts. Toast for about 30 seconds until the pecans are completely coated. (Make sure the nuts do not blacken or begin to burn.)
Spread the shinny nuts in a single layer on a parchment sheet and allow to cool. (Try to arrange them so they aren’t touching as much as possible.
When the nuts are cool, you can gently break any clusters apart, if needed.
When the flank steak has marinated, remove and discard the marinade. Pat the meat dry.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high (about 400°F -450°F).
Place the flank steak on the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Rotate the meat 90° and cook for an additional 2 minutes to get good sear marks.
Turn the steak over and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 132°F for medium rare.
Remove the flank steak to a platter and let rest for about ten minutes.
Assemble the salad greens, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on plates or a large platter if serving family style.
When the flank steak has rested, cut thin slices against the grain and arrange over the salad greens.
Sprinkle the steak slices with gorgonzola cheese and candied pecans.
Pour the dressing over the salad.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

Notes

Keep the salad components separate since dressed salad doesn’t hold up well. That way you will be able to enjoy any leftovers with minimum fuss, just assemble the salad the next day with all the prepared ingredents.