grilled peppercorn steak and caramelized pecan salad with cabernet-cherry vinaigrette

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grainy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons
• 1 pound beef top sirloin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 4 portions
• 2 cups cabernet sauvignon
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 ounces mesclun salad greens with spinach and/or arugula
• 1 carrot, peeled and shaved
• 4 radishes, thinly shaved

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Ready Time: 2 hrs 10 mins


• whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, brown mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, cracked pepper, and in a bowl; pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag. add the beef, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (up to 5 days if necessary).
• bring cabernet and dried cherries to a boil in a saucepan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until has reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume, about 20 minutes. dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the mixture and pour in extra-virgin olive oil. remove from heat and let dressing cool.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). grease a sheet pan.
• toss pecan pieces in a bowl with water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly coated. spread coated pecans into the prepared sheet pan.
• bake pecans in the preheated oven until the coating adheres to the nuts and pecans are fragrant and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. remove from pan and immediately transfer to a large heatproof plate to finish cooling. be careful, candied pecans are extremely hot. set pecans aside to cool.
• preheat an outdoor grill for very high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• remove steak pieces from marinade, shake off excess marinade, and grill until steaks are seared and done to your desired degree of rareness, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a steak should read 145 degrees f (65 degrees c) for medium-well. discard used marinade. let steaks stand for 5 minutes after grilling before cutting into thin slices.
• to serve, mix baby greens with shaved carrot and radishes in a salad bowl and divide 4 large serving plates. lay slices of beef in a spoke pattern on top of greens and sprinkle each salad generously with candied pecans. whisk dressing and drizzle over salads, distributing a few cherries each salad.