A week ago I got to take a trip back to McEwan Foods in Toronto. This store holds really great memories for me. The first time I was there, I wandered around for 45 minutes, in absolute awe of everything you could buy, and stocking up on probably a little too much. I had just started this blog; really I’d just started thinking of food as more than just fuel to get through the day. Seeing rows and rows of ingredients that I hadn’t seen before in our local grocery store really hit me. I understood that I was about to start having a lot of fun in the kitchen. After wandering around I joined some friends at Fabbrica for dinner (one of Chef Mark McEwan’s restaurants), enjoyed a killer steak and stout, and headed home with my very first box of macarons; most of which were devoured on the ride home.
The rest, for me, was history.
This is why I was so excited when I got to head back into the store, on a mission to create a really quick, easy, and delicious recipe. Using just a few simple ingredients, including his McEwan’s Own Salad Dressing, I think I’ve got something really great for you here. The best meals are the ones that can be whipped up in just a few minutes; a combination of ingredients you love, and things already prepared. The less time spent in the kitchen, and the more spent enjoying your meal, the better.
I love truffles, not the chocolate ones (although I don’t think I’ve ever turned one of them down either), I mean the black ones straight from the earth. I can’t get enough of the flavour, and I can’t get it very often either. This is why, when walking past the enormous array of freshly jarred McEwan’s Own dressings, there could be no other for me. If you aren’t a fan of the flavour of truffles though, don’t be put off. This would be great with almost any vinaigrette dressing (the dill and maple caught my eye, so did the roasted garlic).
Now, I told you this was a really easy recipe, and it is. Here’s everything I used in it (except the tablespoon of oil that I cooked the meat in). And those flowers are totally unnecessary, but they were just so pretty sitting on the shelf, I couldn’t resist. For the steak, I just used leftover tenderloin chunks that I had in the freezer from the last time I bought a whole beef tenderloin and cut it up myself. You could use almost any steak though, the more tender the better.
All I did was cut the steak into bite size pieces, season with salt and pepper, then toss it with a couple tablespoons of McEwan’s Own truffle vinaigrette. A dip into some bread crumbs, quick fry in a hot pan, then tossed with the McEwan’s Own arugula salad mix, more dressing, and some goat cheese to top. That’s it, and it’s delicious! If you want to pop into the store (and I really recommend it) McEwan Foods is located at 38 Karl Fraser Road, Toronto, ON M3C 0H7, the phone number is 416-444-6262.
Truffled Steak Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (6oz) steak, cut into bite size strips
- 1 jar McEwan's Own Truffle Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (or other of your choice)
- 1 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko, but any will work)
- 1 container McEwan's Own Arugula Salad Mix (or other of your choice)
- 4 tbsp chevre (soft goat's cheese), crumbled
- Olive oil for cooking
- salt to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the steak into small, bite size pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, making sure all the meat is coated.
- Toss the meat with the bread crumbs, making sure they're evenly coated. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large frying pan, and quickly fry the meat. Flip to ensure both sides are browned and crisp. This should only take about two minutes. Because the pieces are small, they will cook quickly. You just want them to be a nice medium / medium-rare, so they aren't chewy.
- Add the steak bites to the salad, then toss. Add dressing and toss again. top with the crumbled cheve and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
The arugula salad contained a mix of arugula, cabbage, radicchio, tomatoes, and walnuts.
You do not need to use a Truffle Vinaigrette - any style of vinaigrette that you like would work just as well.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by McEwan Foods. The opinions, views, and recipes are my own.
Katie @ Recipe for Perfection
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