This steak and potato salad is a versatile salad that’s simple to make. You can choose whatever beef you like, or if you aren’t a meat eater, omit the beef altogether (or substitute fish). You can use mixed greens or watercress in place of the arugula, and there are a number of different ways to prepare chimichurri. This time, I used whatever fresh spices I happened to have on hand. If you don’t want to take the time/trouble to make the chimichurri, them do without! It’s delicious anyway. The original recipe came from Cuisine at Home Magazine, and I have tweaked it to fit our tastes and cupboard!
Serves 2 Ingredients (Salad)
- 2 yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/2″ thick
- 3/4 – 1 pound of beef tenderloin
- 3 cups of arugula
- 1/4-1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1 tomato, cut into bite-sized chunks or cherry tomatoes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Slice the potatoes about 1/2″ thick. In a bowl, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Either skewer the potatoes or cook the atop a fish grill. Do not place the potatoes directly on the grill or they’ll slip through (believe me, I learned the hard way). The potatoes cook about 20 minutes over medium heat, flipping once, half way through cooking. Slice the tenderloin into 2 inch chunks and skewer. Salt and pepper each before grilling. The steak cooks about 8-10 minutes over medium heat, turning once. (~8 minutes for medium rare, 9-10 for medium). After the steak and potatoes are cooked, brush with chimichurri and let sit a couple of minutes. For the salad, mix the greens with the onions and tomatoes. You can mix the lemon vinaigrette separately and pour over the salad, or if you are lazy like I am, squeeze the lemon and drizzle the olive oil on top of the greens and mix. Serve the steak and potatoes on top of the mixed greens. Serve with chimichurri. Chimichurri:
- 1 cup cilantro or cilantro/parsley mix
- 1/2 cup mint
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree. Set aside. (Note: If you are a big fan of mint, then swap the mint/cilantro ratio).
