Steak and Field Green Salad with Tzatziki and Feta Recipe

As a long time cook I am well aware that nearly nothing I make is a completely original creation. In most cases I probably couldn’t tell you what the original dish that inspired me was. It may have been something I saw in a cookbook, a magazine or on television several years ago. It may have been a dish I used to make when I cooked professionally, well over 20 years ago. Regardless, for some reason the concept of the dish stuck with me, and I feel compelled to revisit it at some later date with no real guidance at all save my memories of the flavor combinations. This dish is not one of those.

In this case, I know precisely what inspired me. When I saw Peter’s recipe for “Steak Sandwich, Greek Style” on his blog, Souvlaki for the Soul, I knew I would be doing something similar. The concept itself was simply brilliant. A simple and elegant combination of flavors that I could not begin to find fault with. Even though Peter’s “steak” was actually lamb, which is quite a luxury item here in Texas. ($8.99-$12.99 per pound), I was pretty certain I could come up with something along the same lines using beef, which we have in abundance around these parts (And can be found for less than $1.00 per pound, if you know where to look.).

The result? According to Mrs. Seat of her Pants, this was one of the best dishes of the year. I think I have to agree, really. In the end though, I owe the idea to Peter, who got the gears in my head spinning. It’s a very nice and very rare occasion to be able to give credit where it is due and I’m glad to be able to do so.

I, My wife and our stomachs thank you, mate!

Yield: 4 servings

Steak and Field Green Salad with Tzatziki and Feta Recipe

Marination Time: 8 hours

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs flank or chuck steak.
• 1 cup yogurt.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced.
• Salad greens of your choice.
• 1/4 block of feta cheese, crumbled.
• Tzatziki Sauce (recipe here
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Mix together yogurt and garlic. Pour mixture into a 1 quart storage bag. Place steak in bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Squeeze yogurt mixture so that it evenly coats steak. Refrigerate at minimum 8 hours, preferably 24 hours to allow the enzymes in the yogurt to tenderize and flavor the meat.
2. After marinating, remove steak from storage bag and discard marinade. Rinse steak under cold running water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and cook steak approximately 4 minutes per side, or until desired wellness. (This varies with the type of steak. For a skirt or flank, 2 minutes per side will probably do just fine.)
4. Remove steak from heat and cover loosely with foil for 5-8 minutes.
5. Arrange greens on serving plate. Slice steak thinly against the grain and arrange over greens. Spoon 2-4 tbsp. Tatziki sauce over steak. Sprinkle with crumbled feta.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1052Total Fat: 70gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 332mgSodium: 375mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 100g

I really can’t think of anything I would have done differently, this dish was outstanding. I do think it would be just as wonderful over spinach and arugula, and a few sauteed crimini mushrooms would be nice as well, but definitely not necessary for this to be a complete meal.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Steak Sandwich, Greek Style, from my friend Peter at Souvlaki For the Soul