Steak — Artichoke Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing -- The Table Is Always Set

Week 424. Year 9. Tommy is 42. The crawfish are running and the driveway is set up and the neighborhood knows because the steam carries the invitation. Rémy at the burner, 42-year-old Tommy at the table with a beer, watching the boy who became a cook become a man who cooks. Luc (18) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The spring is the same spring — crawfish and azaleas and the particular heat of March in Louisiana — and the sameness is the prayer.

Made shrimp remoulade this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The chain holds.

That shrimp remoulade was the heart of the week, but the season keeps asking for more — more color, more freshness, more of that particular Louisiana spring energy that doesn’t let you stay still for long. So when Colette asked what else was coming out of the kitchen, I landed on this steak and artichoke salad: something with bite, something with brightness, the kind of dish that holds its own next to a crawfish boil without trying to compete with one. It’s the food that fills the gaps between the big moments, and those gaps are where the good living happens.

Steak & Artichoke Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb flank steak or sirloin, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the dressing. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Fold in 1/4 cup of the crumbled blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Season the steak. Pat the steak dry and rub all over with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.
3. Cook the steak. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat until very hot. Cook the steak 5—6 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.
4. Sear the artichokes. In the same hot pan, add the drained artichoke hearts in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 2—3 minutes until lightly charred on one side. Remove from heat.
5. Assemble the salad. Spread the romaine across a large platter or divide among four bowls. Top with cherry tomatoes, red onion, charred artichoke hearts, and sliced steak. Drizzle generously with blue cheese dressing and finish with the remaining 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese.
6. Serve immediately. Pass extra dressing at the table. Best eaten while the steak is still slightly warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 430 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 780mg