Carne Asada Salad Recipe

Marinate steak

In a shallow dish or zip-top bag combine 2 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs fresh lime juice, 1 tbs soy sauce, 2 tsp minced garlic, 2 tbs chopped cilantro, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Add the steak, turn to coat, press out excess air, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Remove steak from fridge 20 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature.

Cook steak

Preheat a grill or heavy skillet to high heat. Lightly oil the grates or pan. Remove steak from marinade and wipe off excess marinade (pat dry with paper towels). Grill or sear 3–5 minutes per side for medium-rare (time depends on thickness), until an instant-read thermometer reads 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium-rare. For medium, cook to 140–145°F. Let steak rest on a cutting board for 8–10 minutes.

Slice steak

Using a sharp knife, slice the rested steak thinly across the grain into bite-sized strips or thin slices suitable for salad. Reserve any juices on the cutting board to drizzle over the salad if desired.

While the steak is resting, prepare the salad. Wash and spin dry the spring mix and place in a large bowl or divide among 4 plates (serves 4).

Cut each roma tomato into wedges (typically 6–8 wedges per tomato). Scatter the tomato wedges over the greens.

Crumble 3 oz goat cheese evenly over the salads.

Toast pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until they pop lightly and are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Let cool, then sprinkle over salads.

Add about 1 cup fried onion rings on top of each assembled salad just before serving to maintain crispness (or divide among plates).

Cook bacon

Cook 4 slices of bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7–9 minutes, flipping as needed. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool; reserve 1–2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat from the skillet.

Make vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together 2 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tbs maple syrup (or honey), and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in 3 tbs olive oil until emulsified. Stir in 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Mix in the reserved 1–2 tbs warm bacon fat for extra bacon flavor (optional). Crumble half of the cooked bacon and whisk into the dressing (reserve remaining crumbled bacon for topping).

Taste and adjust seasoning — add more vinegar for acidity, maple syrup for sweetness, or salt/pepper as needed.

Drizzle desired amount of bacon vinaigrette over each plated salad (about 1–2 tbs vinaigrette per serving). Toss gently or leave composed, depending on preference.

Top each salad with sliced carne asada (about 4 oz cooked steak per serving), remaining crumbled bacon, toasted pepitas, goat cheese, roma tomato wedges, and fried onion rings reserved earlier.

If reserved steak juices remain on the cutting board, spoon a little over the steak for extra flavor. Serve immediately while onion rings are crisp and steak is warm.