Top | Pure Beef

Grilled Top Blade with Arugula Salad and Scorched Croutons

(recipe, Lynne Curry)


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Ingredients

  1. 2 top-blade steaks (about 1½ pounds), 1 to 1¼-inches thick
  2. Kosher salt
  3. 2 thick slices artisan bread, crusts removed and torn into ragged 1½-inch pieces
  4. 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  5. 1 tsp. sherry or red-wine vinegar
  6. 5 oz. baby arugula (about 6 cups)
  7. 1 cup lightly packed fresh herb leaves, such as basil, parsley, dill, chives, chervil, tarragon, mint, or a combination
  8. Finishing salt, such as coarse sea salt or flake salt
  9. Freshly ground black pepper

Steps

  1. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and season liberally with the kosher salt. Toss the bread with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and set it aside.
  2. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill for high heat (425 degrees to 475 degrees), scrape the grate clean, and oil it lightly. Cook the steaks on the hottest part of the grill until seared, 3 to 3½ minutes. Use tongs to flip them and sear the second side for another 3 to 3½ minutes for medium rare. (To cook the steaks medium or beyond, slide them over to the coolest part of the grill and close the cover, then cook for 1 to 4 minutes more.)
  3. Grill the reserved bread croutons while the steaks rest, turning them 2 to 3 times, until they are tinged with brown.
  4. For indoor cooking, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and preheat the broiler. Lay the steaks in the pan and cook without moving them for 3½ to 4 minutes. Use tongs to flip them and sear the second side for an additional 3½ to 4 minutes for medium rare. (To cook the steaks further, slide the pan off the burner but leave the steaks in the pan for 1 to 3 minutes more.) Meanwhile, toast the croutons under the broiler, keeping a sharp eye on them and turning them once, until golden brown.
  5. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. While they rest, make the salad dressing by whisking the vinegar with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl. Put the arugula and herbs in a salad bowl and toss with the dressing. Slice the steak against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices and put 4 to 5 slices on each plate. Pile a portion of the salad on top of each serving and balance a few croutons on top. Drizzle any meat juices from the cutting board over it all and sprinkle to taste with the finishing salt and black pepper.