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food

Flank Steak Salad with Onion Rings and Dressing

Nom Nom Paleo's Michelle Tam shows off her ridiculous flank steak salad topped with oh-so-crispy onion rings.

Flank Steak Salad with Onion Rings and Dressing

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CREAMY ONION DRESSING:
  • 6 unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 3 medium, unpeeled yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • FOR THE RED HOT ONION RINGS:
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into rings
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or shichimi togarashi
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups lard, ghee, or frying fat of choice
  • FOR THE STEAK SALAD:
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or fat of choice
  • 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into 4 equal pieces
  • 10 lightly packed cups mixed lettuce (8 ounces)
  • 1 nectarine, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the middle.
  2. Make the creamy onion dressing: Place the garlic and onions in a baking dish and drizzle 1/4 cup of the olive oil on top. Roast for 1 hour or until tender and charred. Cool to room temperature.
  3. Once cooled, peel the onions and garlic. Trim the root ends off the onions and roughly chop them into uniform pieces.
  4. In a blender, puree the onions, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add 1 cup of olive oil until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Make the onion rings: In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Coat the onion rings in the egg whites.
  6. In a shallow plate, mix together the arrowroot powder, cayenne and salt.
  7. Heat the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat until the temperature of the oil reaches 360 degrees.
  8. Take some rings out of the egg white, shaking off any excess. Coat the rings in flour, dusting off any excess.
  9. Fry the rings for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once, until crisp and golden. Transfer rings to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
  10. Make the steak: Pat the steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with salt. When you're ready to cook, melt the ghee in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
  11. Add 2 steaks to the hot pan. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping every 2 minutes, until the steaks are well-browned and the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees.
  12. Transfer to a platter, and cook the remaining steaks. Tent the meat with foil, and rest for 10 minutes.
  13. Slice the steaks against the grain into 1/4-inch strips.
  14. Assemble the salad: Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with the dressing, and add the steak, nectarine, avocado and cherry tomatoes. Top with onion rings.