Fiery Grilled Beef Salad with Oranges and Crispy Shallots

We were looking for something to grill this weekend, but wanted a departure from our usual California or Italian leanings. I had an inspiration to make some Szechuan Noodles, so we thought, why not do a Thai or Vietnamese dish to go along?

So - I consulted "the stack" of favorite and ancient food magazines I have collected over the years and found this gem from a 2005 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. It was definitely a dinner party hit. My only update for next time would be to dress the dish more lightly. The recipe provides way more dressing than needed.

Enjoy!

Fiery Grilled Beef Salad with Oranges and Crispy Shallots
serves 6

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup plus 1 1/12 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds New York stip steaks, cut 1 inch thick (we used skirt steak and it was fantastic!)
2 cups canola oil
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
salt
2 navel oranges
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 serrano chile, minced
freshly ground pepper
One 6-ounce bunch of watercress, thick stems discarded
Once 6-ounce head of frisée, torn into pieces

Prep the marinade
In a small, dry skillet, toast the peppercorns and coriander seeds over moderately high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant (about 1 minute). Transfer toasted peppercorns and coriander seeds to a work surface and let cool. Using the back of a heavy knife, coarsely crack the peppercorns and coriander. Transfer to a large, sturdy resealable plastic bag. Add minced garlic, 1/4 cup each of soy sauce and sugar, then add the meat and seal the bag, carefully pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Prep shallots
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shallots in batches and cook over moderate heat until golden and crisp (about 10 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and let cool. Reserve shallot oil and let cool.

Grill steak and Make salad
Light the grill. Remove meat from the marinade and scarpe off some of the solids. Grill the steaks over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, about 10-minutes for medium-rare meat. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the orange juice, lime juice, rice vinegar, Serrano chile and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the reserved shallot oil (save the rest of the oil for another use) and season the dressing with salt and pepper. 

In a large bowl, add orange segments, watercress and frisée. Dress the salad with the dressing, as desired, and toss well to combine. (Note: the recipe provided more dressing than needed, in my opinion.) Transfer salad to a large serving platter. Slice the steak across the grain and arrange on top of the greens. Sprinkle with crispy shallots and serve immediately.