Steak Nicioise: The Best Steak Salad for Entertaining
This is the best meal to make for entertaining guests because most everything can be made ahead of time and it's naturally gluten-free and dairy free.
Ingredients
For the Dry Rub and Tri-Tip
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic granulated
- 1/8 teaspoon thyme dried
- 2 pounds tri-tip
For the Green Beans
- 12 ounces green beans trimmed
- 2 tablespoons salt kosher
For Potatoes
- 12 ounces red potatoes baby or new, about one store bag
- 2 tablespoons salt kosher
- 1 bowl ice water for shocking the beans
For the Nut-Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup lime juice about 5 limes
- 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (peanut, almond, or cashew butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup oil of choice (peanut, pistachio, macadamia nut or a mix with another neutral oil like avocado)
For the Salad
- 5 ounces mixed greens about one store-bought container
- 1 large heirloom tomato sliced in wedges
- 1/3 cup olives nicoise or kalmata, quartered
Instructions
For the Dry Rub and Tri-Tip
- Measure and mix 2 tsp seasoned salt, 1 tsp coarsely ground pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic granules, 1/8 tsp dried thyme into a small dish and set aside.
- Cross hatch the fat cap of a two pound tri-tip and rub with seasoning. This can be done immediately before cooking or a day ahead of time. If doing this ahead of time be sure to set the meat on the counter 1 hour before you want to start cooking it.
For the Green Beans
- Bring 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to a boil. Blanch green beans 3 minutes until bright green and slightly tender.
- Remove beans from boiling water and submerge beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. The beans can be made a day in advance and can be kept in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Potatoes
- Wash and place potatoes in a small pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer at a low boil, about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes, until potatoes are tender.
- Drain and set aside until they are cool enough to handle. Store in the refrigerator if you are making a day in advance. Just before assembling the salad, lightly coat potato with an oil of choice and slice in half.
For the Nut-Lime Vinaigrette
- Measure all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar.
- Shake vigorously. Either store in the fridge or set aside if using in the next few hours.
For the Salad
- One hour prior to guest arrival place steak on the counter to bring to room temperature. If you haven’t already, cross-hatch the fat cap and wait to season just before searing. If the tri-tip doesn’t have a fat cap, skip this step.
- Remove the potatoes, green beans and nut-lime vinaigrette from the refrigerator to bring those items to room temperature.
- Assemble the salad ingredients on a large platter—everything except the steak. Put the dressing in a bowl with a spoon so it’s ready to serve.
- Determine when to start cooking the tri-tip by the serving time. The cooking and resting time can take as much as 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat an oven proof pan over medium heat until extremely hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and place the tri-tip fat cap side down. Sear for 7 minutes, check to see if the fat cap is nicely brown. When it is nice and brown it tastes like bacon. Flip the tri-tip and place in the oven for about 10 minutes per pound to start.
- When the steak is at the desired temperature, remove the steak to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Resting 15 to 20 minutes would actually work better for this application since this salad is served lightly warm or room temperature. Add sliced steak to the salad platter or separate serving dish. Instruct your guests that the nut vinaigrette can be drizzled over all the components not only the lettuce.
Notes
Pro-tips:
If you remove the green beans from the boiling water with tongs or sieve you can use the same water to boil the potatoes. What temperature should I cook my steak? 120 – 125 degrees for rare
130 – 135 degrees for medium rare
140 – 145 degrees for medium
150 – 155 degrees for well While steak rests it will come up about another 5 degrees in temperature. So, you want to remove the steak from heat about 5 degrees earlier than the desired end result. Tri-tip is popular in California. If you can't find tri-tip, you could substitute a top sirloin cap, also known as rump cap, culotte or picanha (popular in Brazil and gaining popularity in the states).
If you remove the green beans from the boiling water with tongs or sieve you can use the same water to boil the potatoes. What temperature should I cook my steak? 120 – 125 degrees for rare
130 – 135 degrees for medium rare
140 – 145 degrees for medium
150 – 155 degrees for well While steak rests it will come up about another 5 degrees in temperature. So, you want to remove the steak from heat about 5 degrees earlier than the desired end result. Tri-tip is popular in California. If you can't find tri-tip, you could substitute a top sirloin cap, also known as rump cap, culotte or picanha (popular in Brazil and gaining popularity in the states).