RECIPE

Spicy Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4

Chef Way David Burke makes this playful take on a chef's salad with quail eggs and shrimp as well as the usual meat and cheese. Sometimes he even serves it layered in a water glass and has the waiters pour the dressing tableside.

Easy Way In his wonderfully casual version of a chef's salad, Burke skips the shrimp and substitutes regular chicken eggs for the tiny quail ones.

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • FAST

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
    1. 1/4 cup mild olive oil
    2. 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
    3. 1 tablespoon dill
    4. 1 teaspoon chile powder
    5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
    6. 1 1/4 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin, sliced 1/2 inch thick
    7. 1 small garlic clove, smashed
    8. 1/2 small shallot, sliced
    9. 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    10. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    11. 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
    12. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    13. 1/4 cup sour cream
    14. 2 tablespoons milk
    15. 1/4 pound crumbled Roquefort or Maytag blue cheese
    16. 2 romaine lettuce hearts, quartered
    17. 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
    18. 1 Kirby cucumber, thinly sliced
    19. 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin rings
    20. 2 hard-cooked eggs, halved

Directions

  1. In a mini food processor, combine the olive oil, serrano chile, dill, chile powder and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and puree. Transfer the marinade to a bowl and add the sliced meat, turning to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, rinse out the food processor. Add the garlic, shallot, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and process until the garlic and shallot are finely chopped. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream and milk and process until smooth. Add the blue cheese and pulse once or twice to combine. Transfer the dressing to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat a grill pan. Grill the beef tenderloin slices over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare meat.
  4. Arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and hard-cooked eggs on plates and drizzle with the dressing. Arrange the beef tenderloin slices on the plates and serve.