Chef notes
Who doesn't love a Caesar and a good buttery steak? This technique of properly pan roasting meat will change your life forever. The salad is my all-time favorite combination of crunch, herbs and creamy, cheesy dressing. What I love most is combining my favorite spring vegetables with that fresh snap to this iconic dish!
Technique tip: I recommend a digital probe thermometer, so there's no guessing if the temperature of the meat is what you're looking for.
Swap option: A good replacement for little gem is romaine. If you can't get beef tenderloin, I would get a thick-cut rib-eye.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 anchovy (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 lemon, zested, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 (3-ounce) pieces beef tenderloin or skirt steak, about 1-inch thick
- grapeseed oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 tablespoons butter, for basting
- 4 heads little gem lettuce
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, blanched and shocked, thinly sliced
- 1 cup equal parts basil, dill and parsley
- olive oil, to drizzle
- grated Parmesan
- freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
For the dressing:
Place the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, Parmesan, anchovy, Dijon, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and lemon zest in blender and process. With the blender running, slowly stream in the oils to emulsify.
For the beef:
1.Rub each steak with 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil, then season with salt and pepper.
2.Heat a small sauté pan with grapeseed oil until hot. Sear meat to caramelize deeply, 2 minutes on each side, including the outside edges.
3.Add the smashed garlic, herbs and butter to the pan, just to sizzle. As the butter melts and becomes foamy, baste the steak in the pan, about 30 to 40 seconds, until the butter starts to turn a dark brown.
4.Let steak rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice meat into 4 slices before serving.
For the salad:
Neatly assemble lettuce leaves on 4 plates then top with sugar snap peas. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with a generous pinch of herbs. Finish with olive oil, Parmesan, freshly grated black pepper and a little lemon zest.
Top the salads with the sliced beef and serve.
