Blackened Steak Salad

Spicy, seared beef isn't my first thought when I decide what to put in my salad.  Years ago, I had something similar to this in Los Olivos.  It may have been a Caesar salad with blackened beef, but I have bleu cheese dressing at home and that sounded really good as a topping for peppered anything.

This blackening mixture is adapted from the Steak Enthusiast.  Who else would you trust for a steak recipe?  I'm leaving out the cayenne on purpose, and the onion powder because I don't have any.  The proportions are different by personal choice.  Every blackening recipe is a little different.  This one is designed to highlight the beef without overpowering it.

1 lb boneless steak
1 Tb butter
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp black pepper
*1/2 tsp white pepper
*1/2 tsp paprika
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp dried thyme
*1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 head romaine or greenleaf lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch radishes
4 oz artichoke hearts (optional)
salad dressing of choice

1.  Preheat oven to 300º.  Place an oven-proof skillet just slightly larger than the steaks over medium-high heat to preheat.  Turn on fan and/or open a window.

2.  Mix together spices.  Melt butter and brush over surface of steaks, coating both sides.  Sprinkle all sides with the spice mixture.  You'll probably have some left over.  Toss in the pan and step back a bit.  Sear for 2 minutes, until the butter is pretty much gone.  Flip steaks and sear again.  Turn off stove and place skillet in oven until steaks are medium-rare, about 10 minutes or as long as it takes you to make the rest of the salad.

3.  Wash and chop lettuce, discarding the stem end.  Place in serving bowl or start separate plates.  Dice tomatoes and sprinkle on top.  Either quarter or slice radishes, your choice, and add to bowl.  If using, make sure artichokes are drained and in bite-sized pieces, then add to bowl.  If doing this as a tossed salad, add dressing and toss now.

4.  Remove steaks from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Slice thinly across the grain and place on top of salad.  Serve while the salad is cold and the steak is hot.

Makes 4 main-dish salads

Difficulty rating π