This steak salad from the March 2013 issue of Bon Appetit calls for two of my favourite things about spring: the barbecue and chives. A juicy grilled steak is served with a hearty salad of crispy sliced potatoes, cucumbers, radishes, greens and pickled red onions—all topped with a zesty dressing made with sour cream, horseradish and chives.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives include the red wine vinegar, sour cream and horseradish. Look for a red wine vinegar with no added sulfites, such as Eden organic. Check the label on your sour cream for additives and keep in mind that lower-fat versions can contain more artificial ingredients. I have never been able to find prepared horseradish that does not contain sulfites, so I grate my own from my stash of home-grown horseradish roots.

Make the pickled onions first

Thinly slice the potatoes in a food processor with with a mandoline

Pickled onions, radishes and cucumbers ready for the salad

Cook the potatoes until crispy

Be sure to let the steak rest before serving

Steak salad with horseradish dressing

Ingredients:

Pickled Red Onions

2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon (2 ml) kosher salt

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

Horseradish Dressing

½ cup (125 ml) sour cream

3 tablespoons (45 ml) prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon (5 ml) honey

1 teaspoon (5 ml) red wine vinegar

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Steak Salad

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided

1 1-pound (500 g) rib-eye, flank, or skirt steak

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

12 ounces (350 g) fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced

½ English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced

6 radishes, cut into thin wedges

2 cups (500 ml) greens (such as arugula or torn Bibb lettuce leaves)

Preparation:

Onions

Bring vinegar, salt, and 1 cup (250 ml) water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in onion. Let cool. Drain before serving.

Horseradish Dressing

Whisk sour cream, horseradish, chives, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Steak Salad

Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat.

Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until cooked to desired

doneness, 5-8 minutes per side for medium-rare rib eye, about 4 minutes per side for flank steak, or 3 minutes per side for skirt steak. Transfer meat to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

While steak rests, wipe out skillet and heat remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, season with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes.

Slice steak and serve with horseradish dressing, potatoes, cucumber, radishes, greens, and Pickled Red Onions. Serves 4.

From the March 2013 issue of Bon Appetit