Steak Salad

Ingredients

Notes: There's no real science to a recipe like this—if you like something and you think it will be a nice addition, add it. If you don't like something, leave it out. And don't fret over the measurements!

• 2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
• 1 pound steak (I like New York Strip), pork tenderloin or venison loin (yes, I cook with venison)
• Mesclun or other fresh salad mix, maybe two good handfuls (one per person)
• 3-4 Tbsps. crumbled bleu cheese (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted or candied walnuts
• 1 granny smith apple, sliced thin
• 3-4 Tbsps. poppyseed dressing (to taste; can be substituted for a nice vinaigrette
• Steak/blackening seasonings and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet; if you're blackening the meet, just lightly coat a blackening pan and turn the heat high. Season the meat as desired; when skillet is hot, sear well on all sides. Turn down heat to medium/medium-high and let meet cook to desired temperature, turning periodically. Allow to rest before slicing (about 1/4 inch thick), or cool and then keep it in the fridge overnight.

Arrange mesclun on two dinner plates. Top with cranberries and walnuts, then layer the sliced meat. Top with bleu cheese and black pepper. Add sliced apple, and drizzle salad dressing.

The salad is a bit sweet, so you may want to change out the dressing or use toasted walnuts instead of the candied. A salty/savory spice mix for the meat will also balance out the flavors, but it's still a heavy salad.