Grilled Ontario Beef Summer Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

A bright and colourful grilled beef salad. Ribbons of medium rare beef are place in the middle of the tray and is surrounded by stack/piles of fresh vegetables, salad dressing and blue cheese.

Sunny summer afternoons/evenings enjoyed outdoors around the grill are a favourite with our family. A drink in hand, great conversation and a few laughs while we enjoy fresh local ingredients for dinner. This super fresh salad is a favourite for Elaine and me because we can prepare everything in advance, allowing us the opportunity to sit and relax too! The Ontario Beef striploins can be cooked ahead and served at room temperature or cooked just before mealtime and served warm. As the salad is so fresh, I remove the fat from the steaks to keep the beef lean and light as well!

Ingredients

Steaks

2 Ontario Beef Striploin Steaks, fat cap removed, 4 cm thick (1 ½"). Steaks should weigh approximately 454g (16 oz) with fat and 340g (12 oz)with fat removed.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Steak Board Sauce

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 small garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vinaigrette

1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Zest of ½ lemon
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Salad

1 head of Boston lettuce (living lettuce preferred), leaves separated and cleaned
2 small red endive, leaves separated and cleaned
½ a large red onion, thinly sliced and marinated*
340 g (12 oz) multicoloured cherry/grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
6 radishes, thinly sliced
170 g (6 oz) sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved if large
2-3 small celery stalks, sliced on a diagonal
9-10 mini cucumbers, halved (or 2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced)
12 thin asparagus spears, cut into 3-inch pieces, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes, then transferred to an ice bath to cool
1 cup frozen corn kernels (peaches & cream preferred), blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes, then transferred to an ice bath to cool
115 g (4 oz) Gorgonzola (or other creamy blue cheese)
Maldon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Season the steaks

Mix steak spices together in a small dish. Remove steaks from fridge, season with spice blend on both sides let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Prepare board sauce

Place all ingredients on a board and using a knife, chop to blend and combine. Spread board sauce evenly across the board and set aside until steaks are done.

Make the vinaigrette

In a food processor, combine the first 7 ingredients with 1 tablespoon of water. With the machine on, drizzle in both oils until incorporated. For a thinner vinaigrette, stir in another tablespoon of water. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill

Heat grill on high

Prepare the vegetables

Clean and cut vegetables

Prepare the steaks

Place steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.

Flip steaks and continue to grill 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (internal temp. of 135 °F), 6 to 7 minutes for medium (140°F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150°F).

Place steaks directly on board sauce and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice meat thinly across the grain, turning each slice in the board dressing to coat, then serve.

Medium rare slices of Ontario beef on a wood (bark still on the edges) board. The beef is resting in a board sauce and will be added to this grilled beef salad.

Assemble the salad

On a large platter, lay out the lettuce, then add piles of the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a bowl or jar of the vinaigrette.

Total: 40 mins
Serves: 4-6

Want to learn more about the different cuts of beef that could also be used in fresh summer meals, check out the Ontario Beef website: https://www.ontbeef.ca/buying-beef/cuts-of-beef/

Disclosure: I have participated in a paid partnership with Ontario Beef. Opinions in this post are my own.