Arugula Steak Salad with Capers and Lemon Vinaigrette
Arugula Steak Salad with Capers and Lemon Vinaigrette is bright, salty, so good, and ridiculously easy to make, seriously!
Equipment
- large pan I prefer a cast-iron
- cutting board
- paring knife
- strainer
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Steaks
- 2 - 8 oz Top Sirloin steaks (1-1 1/2" thick) Or your favorite cut in similar ounces and thickness
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Salad
- 4 cups arugula (about 2 ounces)
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- Parmesan cheese, grated or sliced (optional)
Instructions
Steaks
- Steaks. Be sure your steaks are completely thawed (if using from frozen). Pat both sides of the steaks dry. Rub both sides of each steak generously with sea salt and ground black pepper.1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 2 - 8 oz Top Sirloin steaks (1-1 1/2" thick), 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Rest. Allow the steaks to rest 5-10 minutes before cooking.
- Skillet. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a pan (I prefer a cast-iron skillet) over medium low heat. About 1-2 minutes. Once a cast-iron is hot, it will hold the heat, which is why I love it so much. Watch for the shimmer, so you don't end up with smoke.1/3 cup olive oil
- Shimmer. Once the oil has a little shimmer, carefully add both steaks to the pan.
- Cook. The cook time I'm using will result in a medium to medium rare steak. Regardless of how long you cook, do not move the steaks once you place them in the pan and cook for an even amount of time on both sides. For medium rare, with 1 1/2" thickness, allow the steaks to cook for approximately 4 minutes - do not move them during this time. At the end of the 4 minutes, flip the steaks.
- Aromatics. Carefully add butter to the pan. Allow the steaks to cook for another 4 minutes - do not move them during this time. But do use a spoon to baste the steaks with the melted butter. Now is the time to add any aromatics you'd like (garlic, rosemary, etc.). For the salad, I want this to keep the flavor simple, so I'm not adding for this recipe.2 Tablespoons butter
- Tip: If you'd like the steak done more or less, simply increase or reduce the time on each side. How do you know when the steak is done? See above 'Tips, Tricks, & FAQs'.
- Rest. After the time is up, remove the steaks from the pan and allow them to rest on a plate, about 10 minutes before slicing.
Lemon Vinaigrette
- Oil. In a small bowl add olive oil.2 teaspoons olive oil
- Lemon. Slice a large lemon and squeeze the juice over a strainer to keep the seeds out.2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Whisk. Add the lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper to the oil. Vigorously whisk the lemon juice and oil to emulsify the dressing. The mix will be come a stunning cloudy golden color.3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Assembly
- Arugula. If your arugula isn't a pre-washed, rinse and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove as much of the water as possible.4 cups arugula (about 2 ounces)
- Plate. Place arugula on each plate. Carefully place the sliced steak on each bed of lettuce. Then, drizzle dressing over top. Garnish with capers and a bit of fresh cracked black pepper.2 Tablespoons capers
- Parmesan. Optional, add sliced Parmesan cheese on top.Parmesan cheese, grated or sliced
- Enjoy! Serve immediately!