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Rachael Ray’s “Grilled Steak Sandwich…I Mean, Salad — No! Sandwich!”
taken from the cookbook 365: NO Repeats, page 261. I looked for this recipe on line and did not find it.
8 oz day old chewy farm-style bread, cubed
5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp EVOO (olive oil)
2Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves, from 2 sprigs
Coarse black pepper
1.5-2 lb skirt steaks
4 small vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
8 oz fresh or smoked monzarella, cubed
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
Coarse Salt
Directions:
Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high.
*Place bread in medium mixing bowl and cover with water. Soak the bread for 3-5 minutes.
In a shallow dish, combine about 3 tbsp of the balsalmic vinegar with about 2 tbsp of the EVOO, the rosemary and a liberal amount of black pepper. Add the steaks to the dish and coat thoroughly, then marinate for 5-10 minutes.
After the bread has soaked, working in small batches, remove it in handfuls from the water and wring it out without mashing or tearing it. You do not want wet bread, so wring it out carefully and place in salad bowl. Add tomatoes, onions, monzarella, and basil. Toss a few times, then dress with remaining 2 TBSp balsamic vinegar, 1/4c EVOO (3-4 times around the bowl) and salt & pepper. Adjust the seasonings and let the salad sit for the flavors to come together.
Season with steak with salt and grill the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Slice the meat very thin on a sharp angle against the grain. Divide the bread salad among 4 serving plates and top with a few slices of the Balsamic Steak.
Makes 4 Generous Servings
*Those of you who like to do recipes exactly as printed in the book will say I didn’t make this recipe at all when you see what I did to it. I decided to make this recipe at the last minute so I had to make modifications / Substitutions. I did not wet and dry the bread. I used 8 slices of Brownberry brand Country White bread from my freezer, cubed. I didn’t have red onion — I used the green and yellow that I had on hand. I didn’t have fresh basil — I used alot of dried basil (3 times around the bowl) and 1 cup shredded iceberg. I used shredded monzarella. I already had in my deep freezer some Round steak thinly bias cut against the grain. I defrosted and marinated this meat.
We all absolutely loved this recipe, even in its modified form. I look forward to making this recipe according to directions.