I can’t believe how fast this summer has flown by – and I haven’t finished trying all the “summer recipes” I’ve been bookmarking.
A friend turned me on to Deb Perelman and her blog, smittenkitchen.com, a number of years ago when she gifted me one of Deb’s cookbooks. The blog quickly became one of my favorites and over time I’ve made many of her recipes – with a 100% success rate, I might add. She explains things well and none of them have been super difficult. So when I was scrolling through her blog one day several weeks ago and came across “Summer Steak with Corn & Tomatoes,” it nearly took my breath away because the picture was so beautiful and colorful. It truly looked like summer on a plate.
An added benefit of her blog is that she also has a fun sense of humor. Check out her comments about this particular recipe:
“This has been my go-to summer steak for the last several years and I have some audacity to have gate kept it for so long. Mostly, we’ve been too busy eating it for me to grab the camera and shoot it and then sit down and write the recipe, which is hilarious as that’s, like, my whole job. But my brain softens in the summer, especially when my kids are away at sleepaway camp, as they are now, and we quickly lose whatever tethers we had to things like to-do lists, responsibilities, and adulting. And while I do not expect a skirt steak with a cherry tomato and sweet corn salad to shake the cooking internet off its axis, there are a bunch of tips tucked into this recipe that make it a reliable favorite, and I hope become part of your repertoire too.”
It was quick and easy to make and as for the corn and tomato salad, you can really put just about anything you want to in it. The steak may be prepared on the grill or in a grill pan on the stovetop. I made ours on a cast-iron grill pan on the stovetop.
We thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely add it to the rotation. However, there is one confession I have to make. Don’t be frightened by my picture. Although we prefer our steak medium rare, this turned out a little too rare even for us. After taking the picture, I put the steak back on my grill pan and cooked it a little longer. I failed to retake the picture because we were too anxious to dig in. Try it. I think you’ll like it.
From smittenkitchen.com
Steak:
Salad:
Prep the steak: Pat steak dry and place on a plate or tray. If your grill or pan for cooking is smaller than the length of it, cut the steak into segments that will fit. Combine sugar, salt, paprika, and many grinds of black pepper in a small bowl then sprinkle half of it over the top of the steak; flip steak over and repeat on the second side. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for 30 minutes or up to a few hours, until you’re ready to grill. I do this uncovered to encourage the edges to dry out, which is just my preference; loosely covered works too.
Make corn and tomato salad: Cook the corn your favorite way; I use the grill. Heat your grill to a high heat. Shuck the cobs, removing any stringy bits, and lightly oil the cobs. Place directly on the grill and cook until charred spots form, rotating the cobs as needed. This can take about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how robust your grill is. Set the cobs aside to cool slightly while you make the dressing.
Pour olive oil, cider vinegar, kosher salt, many grinds of black pepper, and minced garlic in a medium-large bowl and whisk to combine. When corn is cool enough to handle (with a towel, if needed), cut the kernels from the cob and add to the dressing in the bowl. Scatter tomatoes, jalapeno, scallions, and herbs on top of the corn in layers, but I don’t bother mixing it at this point. I like the corn to marinate and gently pickle in the dressing while I cook the steak.
Do ahead: Corn salad can be made 1 hour in advance. If you’d like to make it even earlier, I’d leave the herbs off until right before serving so they don’t discolor.
Cook the steak:
On a grill: Heat your grill to high for 10 minutes before using it. I like my (small, gas) grill as ripping hot as I can get it for a skirt steak, since it’s so thin and I want to get color on the outside before it overcooks in the center. Lightly oil the grill and the steak, cooking for 2 minutes on the first side, then flipping it and cooking it for 2 minutes on the second side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
On the stove: Heat your heaviest skillet, ideally cast-iron over high heat for several minutes, until the pan is smoking hot. Lightly coat it with a neutral oil and add the steak. If you had to cut yours into a few segments, you might only be able to cook two at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip the steak and cook it for 2 minutes on the second side for a medium-rare steak. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.
Assemble and serve: Stir tomato-corn salad to mix the ingredients and taste, adjusting seasoning if needed. Once the steak has rested, cut it across the grain into ¼ - to ½ -inch thick slices. Arrange steak fanned on a serving platter and drizzle any juices that have collected on the cutting board over it. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper. Spoon some tomato-corn salad over it, leaving the rest in a bowl on the side for adding more at the table. Eat right away.
