Barbecue Steak Salad with Currant Vinaigrette

OK, Winter.  While we really, truly appreciate the gracious homecoming, with more than adequate dumpings of snow for my newly relocated little ones to play in, I think we’re all about done with you now.  In all honesty, I kind of like Winter.  I don’t really mind the cold, and the sun glistening off the snow, pure and white, in the backyard (except for where the dog’s been), is absolutely beautiful.  That said, it’s been a heck of a winter here, and between excessive snow days and “We’re stuck in the house, so let’s eat”, I’m about done.

I feel like I’ve been eating so heavy lately.  It happens every year.  The holidays roll around, things go out of whack.  Then, when it’s chilly out, I just want cozy, comfort food.  Now that we’re about to creep into March, I’m ready to get back into lighter fare.  I’m soooo ready for strolling around farmers markets, and amazing, fresh produce.  (We’re almost there…almost.)

I saw this recipe in a book my mom lent me, and it seemed like the perfect winter-to-spring bridge recipe.  It’s light, and fresh, but I didn’t have to send my husband out to the grill in freezing temps, because the steak came together on the stove top.

I started by slicing up some flank steak into thin strips.  Flank steak needs to be sliced against the grain, or else it is terribly tough to chew.  So, keep that in mind when you slice up yours.  Once it was sliced, I put the pieces in a bowl, and tossed them with some Barbecue dry rub.  I used McCormick’s Grill Mates Barbecue Seasoning.

I let the steak bits hang out for a few minutes, while I finished chopping up my salad veggies, and got my dressing together.  You could really throw in any veggie you feel like in this salad.  I had cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots on hand, so that’s what I used.  It’s easily adaptable, though.  As for the dressing, it’s a tasty, sweet and tangy concoction of some olive oil, currant jelly, red wine vinegar, dried currants, a dab of Dijon mustard, and a little more of that barbecue seasoning.

Then, it was time to sear the steak.  Since the steak was sliced so thinly, it cooked up quickly, just a minute or two on each side.

As the steak was cooking, I tossed my salad veggies with some of the currant vinaigrette.  Don’t just dump all of the dressing on, or it may be overdressed.  Drizzle a bit, toss it around, and add more if you need to.  I didn’t need all of it.

When the steak was done, I piled some of the salad on our plates, and topped it with the seasoned steak.  Then, I finished things off with some crunchy, honey-roasted cashews.

This dinner was exactly what I was looking for.  It’s fresh, and light, but packed with flavor, and didn’t leave me feeling heavy and over-filled once dinner was over.  The barbecue seasoning on the steak pairs perfectly with the sweet and sour vinaigrette.  The dressing was so tasty, and so simple to throw together, that I’m sure it will make another appearance next to a regular dinner salad another night.

As if on cue, Winter has decided to give us a little break this week.  While we had freezing rain and white out conditions on Monday, we’re headed into the low 60’s by the end of the week.  I’ll take it while I can get it!

BARBECUE STEAK SALAD WITH CURRANT VINAIGRETTE

Adapted from Cuisine Tonight