Succulent red tomatoes ... grilled sweet white onion rings ... and your favorite blue (bleu) cheese with tender slices of grilled New York Strip over fresh greens and grilled asparagus -- the perfect "macho man" salad! Better yet, this Red, White and Blue Steak Salad is simple, quick and healthy. The preparation time is minimal and the addition of steak gives expert grillers a chance to show off their talents. Plus, it's a one-dish meal that's as attractive to serve as it is scrumptious to eat -- the flavors complement each other perfectly. And the quick and easy clean-up is a nice bonus ....
Balsamic Vinaigrette:1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, snipped*
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, snipped*
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, snipped*
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, snipped* *To substitute dried herbs for fresh: 1 tsp. dried = 1 Tbsp. fresh Salad: 2 9-10 oz. New York Strip Steaks, approximately 1" thick, trimmed of excess fat
1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, sliced 1/2" thick
16-20 stalks of fresh asparagus, with ends snapped off
6 cups lightly packed, torn mixed salad greens
1 cup gorgonzola or bleu cheese, crumbled
2 cups red pear or cherry tomatoes, halved - Combine first five ingredients. Pour oil in slowly and whisk until smooth. (Can also be combined in screw-top jar or salad mixer and shake well.) Stir in chopped herbs. Set aside.
- Trim excess fat from steak. Remove 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette and use to brush on both sides of steak, the onion slices, and asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Vinaigrette may be brushed on ahead of time -- cover and refrigerate until time to grill. Reserve remainder of the vinaigrette to drizzle on finished salads.
- Prior to grilling, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill seasoned steak on oiled rack directly over heat to desired doneness, turning once. Allow 8-12 minutes for medium-rare, and 12-15 minutes for medium-cooked, depending on the thickness of steak.
- Grill onion slices, turning once. The slices will take 10-12 minutes total, so plan accordingly based on the grill surface and the grilling time needed for the steaks.
- Grill asparagus until crisp-tender and just slightly shriveled, rolling over until lightly grilled-marked, approximately 3-6 minutes (again, depending on thickness).
- After removing from grill, allow steak to rest about 3 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.
To Serve: Divide mixed greens among four dinner plates. Place 4-5 grilled asparagus spears on each side of the plate. Arrange overlapping meat slices down the center. Separate grilled onion slices into rings to top the salad. Add sliced tomatoes, then sprinkle with crumbled bleu cheese. Drizzle salads with the reserved vinaigrette. Serves 4 as a main course.
| 
