When does a grilled steak become a meal? When you flank it with fire roasted bell peppers, perfectly ripe tomatoes, and fresh greens. This meaty main course salad has loads of full flavor thanks to a spice-based rub that gets used 3 ways (as marinade for the steak and bell peppers, then again in the salad dressing). This is my ultimate summer salad recipe.
Whisk the spices (cumin, paprika, ginger, coriander, black pepper, and chili powder) in a bowl with the olive oil.
Remove 1 Tablespoon to use as a marinade for the steak. Reserve the remaining marinade for the salad. Rub the marinade all over both sides of the steak. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Season rib-eye generously with salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the salad.
Heat a grill to medium-high and allow grates to get hot, 10 minutes. Toss the bell pepper slices with the marinade and grill until both sides blister. There will be a small amount of spice oil left in the bowl. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk to form the salad dressing.
Grill steak about 4 minutes per side or until an instant-read thermometer reads 120°F for rare (steaks will carry over to 125°F, or medium-rare, as they rest). Transfer to a work surface; let stand for 10 minutes.
When the bell pepper are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to peel away any burnt pieces of skin. Toss the roasted bell pepper with the salad dressing. Next, add the lettuce, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sliced steak.
Notes
How to Buy a Great Steak - Look for marbling (fat streaks) running throughout the meat. The best cuts for this salad will be rib-eye, T-bone, or Porterhouse. Each will be supremely tender once cooked. The more marbling, the better the flavor. These cuts are perfect for grilling and should be cooked the same way: seared over a hot fire and then finished over medium-low heat.Middle-Eastern Rub: so-named for the spices typical of Middle-Eastern cuisine, gets used 3x in this recipe...to marinade the steak, to marinade the bell pepper, and to create a flawless salad dressing.Apply the spice-based rub well in advance if you have the time. You can double the recipe as I do and keep one steak overnight, and eat the other one same-day. Since the rub contains zero salt, don't forget to generously season every inch of the steak with salt and pepper before grilling.