STEAK AND SWEET CORN SALAD WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Steak and Sweet Corn Salad with Basil Vinaigrette image

Around our house, we generally don't eat a lot of red meat. When grilling a steak, I usually serve a small portion of the meat and surround it with lots of yummy vegetables or a great salad. This Steak and Sweet Corn Salad is a perfect example of allowing the meat to shine while controlling the portion size. I promise you won't...

Provided by Chris Scheuer

Time 1h45m

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

for salad
8 c fresh salad greens
1 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pt cherry or grape tomatoes
4 ears corn, shucked and silk removed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c tiny potatoes, cooked, drained and halved when cooled
1-1 1/2 lb rib-eye, new york strip or sirloin steak
1 medium lime, juiced
4 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
sweet basil vinaigrette (see recipe)
for dressing
1/4 lb fresh basil
1/3 c rice vinegar
3/4 c canola oil
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
2 tsp dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps:

1. For salad: soak 8 wooden skewers in water for 1 hour. For marinade, combine lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a zip lock bag. Thinly slice steak, lengthwise, and add to marinade in bag. Let sit at room temperature while preparing other components of the salad.
2. Preheat oven to 425. Combine the 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan. Place corn on sheet pan and rub with hands to coat with oil mixture. Roast for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. You want the corn to be nicely caramelized in spots. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When cool, cut corn kernels from cobs and set aside. (This can be done early in the day and refrigerated, just bring to room temperature before adding to salad.)
3. Heat grill to medium high. Thread steak, accordion-style, onto the soaked skewers, packing fairly tight. (You want to pack tightly so that meat doesn't get done before edges have a chance to nicely brown.) Place on heated grill and cook to desired doneness, flipping once, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
4. In the meantime, arrange lettuce on 4 large plates. Sprinkle with cilantro. Divide corn, potatoes and tomatoes evenly among salads. Arrange 2 steak skewers atop of each salad and drizzle with Sweet Basil Vinaigrette. Serve and expect rave reviews!
5. For dressing: In a food processor bowl or blender combine vinegar, basil, garlic, mustard, sugar and honey. Puree mixture until smooth. With motor running slowly add the salad oil to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper to taste