This Grilled Wedge Steak Salad Is My Go-To Summer Dinner
This grilled wedge steak salad is more than just dinner—it’s a grounding, sensory experience that invites you to slow down and savor. Cool, smoky romaine meets juicy steak, crispy bacon, and tangy pickled shallots, all drizzled with a creamy blue cheese dressing you’ll want to keep in your fridge all week.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Quick Pickled Shallots
- 1 medium shallot peeled and very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove grated
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives (or chopped scallions)
- 1-2 tablespoons water or milk or more as needed
Steak and Salad
- 1 - 1 ¼ pounds flank steak
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 4-6 strips meaty bacon
- Neutral vegetable oil for the grill
- 2 romaine hearts halved lengthwise
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes halved (or quartered if large)
Instructions
Make the pickled shallots
- Using a strainer, rinse the shallot slices in hot water. Drain well and transfer to a small bowl. Season the shallots with salt, and stir in the sherry vinegar. Let sit, stirring occasionally (the shallots will soften and shrink as they sit). Do Ahead: The pickled shallots can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Make the blue cheese dressing
- In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic (if you have the time, let this sit for 5 minutes to mellow the garlic). Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, chives and 1 tablespoon of water or milk. If the dressing is too thick for your liking, stir in another tablespoon (or more) of water or milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Do Ahead: The blue cheese dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Grill the steak and assemble the salad
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Season the steak on both sides with salt, pepper and the granulated garlic. Let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (while you cook the bacon).
- Arrange the bacon in a large skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
- Clean and oil the grill grates. Grill the steak until caramelized on the bottom with grill marks, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the steak over and continue cooking until the internal temperature on a meat thermometer reads 125-130˚F (50-55˚C) for medium-rare, about 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Lightly brush or drizzle the cut sides of the romaine hearts with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the romaine, cut sides down, until grill marks form, about 1 minute (don’t overcook, as you want the inside to still be crisp).
- Transfer the romaine, cut sides up, to serving plates, and divide the tomatoes over top. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and arrange it next to the salad. Drizzle everything with the blue cheese dressing. Drain the pickled shallots (save the vinegar for dressings) and scatter them over top. Crumble the bacon over the salad and sprinkle everything with blue cheese. Glorious.
Notes
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- No grill? Use a grill pan on the stovetop or broil the romaine and steak in the oven.
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- Make it vegetarian: Skip the meat and use grilled mushrooms or a plant-based protein. Vegan bacon works beautifully too.
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- Use what you have: Any hearty greens (like little gem or butter lettuce) can work. You can also swap in quick-pickled red onions for the shallots.
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- More ways to use the dressing: It’s fantastic on burgers, wings, roasted vegetables, or even as a dip for cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.
Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!