By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL
Tagliata, a sliced steak dish that gets its name from the Italian word tagliare, meaning “to cut,” is the inspiration for this steak salad in which the meat is perfectly seasoned with a simple dry rub of salt, pepper and ground fennel.
The recipe, from our newest cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” first sears the steak in a hot cast-iron pan until rare or medium-rare. While the steak rests, Peppadew peppers and garlic are briefly sautéed and combined with lemon juice and olive oil to make a simple pan sauce. Additional juice and oil are combined to make a vinaigrette, which is tossed with peppery arugula and savory shaved Parmesan.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain, then arrange slices over the arugula. Spoon some warm pan sauce over each serving and top with more Parmesan.
If you can’t find skirt steak, flank, flat iron and bavette steaks also work well. If the steak comes as a long piece, cut the meat in half to fit the pan. Tangy, sweet Peppadew peppers can be found near the olive bar in most grocery stores; they come in mild or hot varieties. A Y-style peeler is best for shaving the Parmesan that finishes the salad.
SKIRT STEAK SALAD WITH ARUGULA AND PEPPADEWS
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground fennel
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup drained and chopped Peppadew peppers
1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced
8 ounces baby arugula ( about 12 cups lightly packed)
1½ ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (3/4 cup)
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the fennel, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Coat the steak with the seasoning, then let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup, whisk together 6 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil until barely smoking. Add the steak and sear without moving, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown on the second side, about another 2 minutes for rare to medium-rare.
Transfer to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes. Return the skillet to medium-high. Add the Peppadews and garlic, then cook for 30 seconds. Stir the dressing, then add half to the skillet, scraping the pan to deglaze.
In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining dressing and half of the Parmesan, then divide among serving plates. Thinly slice the steak against the grain, then arrange slices over the arugula. Spoon some warm pan sauce over each serving. Top with the remaining Parmesan.
