Sourdough Panzanella with Grilled Flank Steak

I have no clue how easy or hard this was.  We decided to put it on the menu because we had bought sourdough earlier in the week and needed to use more of it.

I like the idea of a salad with no lettuce.  The steak on top of it was really flavorful.  Would have again.

Sourdough Panzanella with Grilled Flank Steak

Photo by ALB

The design of a serrated knife makes it ideal to cut through the skin of soft, juicy tomatoes as well as to cube the bread for this salad. Mincing shallots, slicing flank steak and onions, and chiffonading basil are all tasks well suited to a chef's knife.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and 3 ounces steak)

Ingredients
Beef:

1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salad:
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
1 (10-ounce) cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Cooking spray
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed sourdough bread, toasted (about 8 ounces)
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Preparation
To prepare beef, combine first 6 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours.

To prepare salad, combine 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, onion, and next 6 ingredients (onion through cucumber) in a large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove steak from bag, discarding marinade. Place the steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Add bread and basil to cucumber mixture; toss well. Serve salad immediately with steak.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 402; Calories from fat: 29%; Fat: 12.8g; Saturated fat: 4.3g; Monounsaturated fat: 5.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 29.2g; Carbohydrate: 42g; Fiber: 4g; Cholesterol: 54mg; Iron: 4.7mg; Sodium: 884mg; Calcium: 78mg

Cooking Light MARCH 2004