Have Some Steak Salad

This isn’t some little salad. This one’s got muscle. NY strip. Grilled hard, then kissed with cherry smoke. Deep, savory, a little sweet around the edges. Looks good. Smells innocent. It isn’t. Arugula and spinach dressed in bacon chimichurri. Fresh herbs, sharp vinegar, and smoky bacon cutting straight through that beef. Then the jalapeño shows up. Some things don’t need a warning. Red onion brings the bite. Strawberries bring sweetness. You need both. Sweet without an edge gets taken advantage of. And now we get serious. Fried goat cheese. Crunchy outside. Warm and creamy inside. Then hot pepper jelly. Sweet first. Trouble second. Avocado cools everything down. Rich. Smooth. Keeps the peace. And that poached egg? That’s your sauce now. Rye croutons give you crunch. Toasted fennel seeds bring a little sweetness and spice. Sunflower seeds finish the job. Cherry smoke. Beef. Bacon. Pepper. Strawberry. Goat cheese. Runny egg. Crunch. Every one of them thinks they’re running the show. They’re not. I am.

Ingredients

for two salads

1 lb NY Strip steak
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup cherry wood chips (for smoking)
2 cups arugula
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup oregano leaves
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp bacon fat
1 cup olive oil
4 slices cooked bacon
3 cloves garlic
1 minced shallot
2 jalapeno peppers
12 strawberries
1/2 red onion
6 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup flour
1 egg white
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 cup olive oil (for frying)
1 tbs hot pepper jelly
1/2 avocado
2 eggs
1 cup cubed seeded rye bread
1 tsp butter
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup sun flower seeds

Directions

Pat the steak dry using a paper towel and season with 1 tsp kosher salt. Place on a wire rack in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour before grilling to come up to room temperature. Prepare your charcoal grill for direct and indirect heat. Coat the steak with the vegetable oil and sear the steak on all sides over high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Move the steak to the indirect heat and add the cherry wood chips to the coals and cover the grill. Smoke the steak until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F. Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
In a small container add the dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, parsley and oregano leaves, bacon fat, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and blend to a paste using a stick blender. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Once the dressing is emulsified, add the garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced, minced shallots, and bacon, crumbled. In a large bowl toss the arugula and baby spinach together, add the dressing and toss to coat but reserve a 1/4 cup of the dressing.
Slice the strawberries into quarters, slice the red onion thin using a mandolin, and chop the jalapeno into 1/4 inch pieces.
Form the goat cheese into two 3 oz 1/2 inch discs. Coat the cheese in flour, then egg white, and finally the bread crumbs. Freeze the breaded goat cheese for at least two hour. In a small fry pan heat the 1 cup of olive oil to 325 degrees F and fry the goat cheese for about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove cheese from the oil and allow to drain on paper towels, season with salt and pepper.
Heat a small pan on high with salted water to a boil. Crack each egg into a sieve to drain the thin liquid from the egg. Cut the heat on the pan and place each egg in the water. Allow the whites to set on the egg and remove with a spider, about 2 minutes.
Heat a small fry pan over medium heat with the fennel and sunflower seeds. Toast the seeds until they begin to brown and remove from the pan. Add the 1 tsp butter and 1 tbs of olive oil to the pan, heat until the fat stops bubbling and add the cubed seeded rye with the garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Toss the bread in the fat and spices, allow bread to toast to a golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the dressed greens evenly between two plates and top each with the strawberries, jalapeno, and red onion. Thinly slice the steak and place on top of each salad, coat each with 2 tbs of the remaining dressing, followed by the toasted seeds and croutons. Add one poached egg and one fried goat cheese topped with hot pepper jelly to each salad. Thinly slice the avocado and add to the salad seasoned with salt and pepper.
Serve