There are few things I enjoy more than a good steak. It totally appeals to the carnivore in me. Sometimes when I am trying to be good I switch out the steak for a steak salad. I figure if you throw in some lettuce or arugula, it has to be good for you, right? At the very least it has to be better than chowing down on a big meaty butter-basted steak and a baked potato... Anyway, we purchased this hanger steak a week ago and have been hanging onto it until we came up with the right recipe. I was originally going to thinly slice it and stir fry it, but I thought that sounded like a waste of a good steak. Since we had a vaguely Latin-inspired meal last night I didn't want to make tacos with our hanger steak. So that left me at something of an impasse. And then it occurred to me that we could make a steak salad. I had a few steak salad recipes bookmarked, but this was the one that struck me this evening. I think it was the mushrooms that did it. I really like sauteed mushrooms.
Generally I cook a ribeye or a NY strip when I am serving it over salad, but the hanger steak has such great flavor (and is tender if cooked and sliced correctly). I think that hanger steak was perfect for this salad. The flavors in the mushrooms and vinaigrette were pretty subtle, so the flavorful steak was a nice touch. I thought the thinner steak also went nicely with the Asian flavors of the salad and a thicker steak might have seemed a little clunky. Mesclun or mixed greens are a much better choice for this salad than arugula. I think that arugula goes really well with the thicker, fattier ribeye because it has some bitterness to cut through the richness of the steak. Baby spinach would have been ok, but I really liked the mildness of the mesclun. The entire salad just feels light and flavorful, but is substantial and hearty enough to be a very satisfying meal.
Recipe after the jump!
Seared Asian Steak with Mushroom Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit
November 2010
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
4 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Asian chili-garlic sauce
2 tsp Asian sesame oil, divided
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
8-10 oz. hanger steak
2 tbsp sesame seeds
8 oz mixed crimini (baby bella) and oyster mushrooms, quartered (shiitakes would also be delicious)
4 cups mixed greens
Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 tsp vegetable oil, minced ginger, chili-garlic sauce, and 1/8 tsp sesame oil in small bowl. Add cilantro and stir to blend. Set dressing aside.
Rub sesame oil over each side of the steak. Sprinkle steaks with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds. Massage the meat to distribute evenly, and get sesame seeds to adhere. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Saute until golden brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with s&p. Transfer mushrooms to plate. Wipe skillet out. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame oil to skillet. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add steaks. Cook until done, about 2 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to cutting board. Allow steak to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Slice steaks thinly on the bias. Toss mixed greens with dressing in large bowl. Divide greens among plates and top with steak slices and mushrooms.
Serve.
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