How about a delicious 15-minute prep pan-seared Strip Loin Steak on a Mexican-Style Salad? Does this sound like a good dinner? I thought so!
We haven’t had a steak in ages and it was about time now that the sun peeks through the snow-loaded clouds every once in a while. Does preparing spring inspired Mexican-style salads with pan-seared strip loin steak call the spring Gods? I sure hope so. I’ve had more than enough of winter. I’m soooooo tired of it! I want to have barbecues in the park with fresh crunchy salads. I want to meet friends for a drink or two OUTSIDE! Not in a stinky bar. In a park or backyard or balcony or yes, even just a wide open window!!
I have a dream…. I dream of sharing this Strip Loin Steak Salad at Parc Lafontaine. The sun shining, the kids running around and playing and everybody enjoying the first days of outdoor life again. Especially on a day like today I feel like I NEED SUN, HEAT, SPRING!!! Pretty please!
How to cook strip loin steak
The easiest and most delicious way in my opinion is to sear it in a cast iron pan and then baste with butter, garlic and thyme. I’m so drooling over my keyboard right now just thinking of the taste of this steak. Seriously! It’s one of the best things in the world. I promise! Here the most important tips for a perrrrrfect steak:
Number 1: The steak MUSN’T be cold. Take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking/grilling. If you add a cold steak to a hot oiled pan the oil shoots out and kills you (just kidding, well, maybe not), it will burn from the outside and it will stay completely raw on the inside. Big no no. Bring the steak to room temperature first by leaving it on the kitchen counter for at least half an hour, better an hour.
Number 2: Salt and pepper generously. And with generously I mean geeeeeenerously!
Number 3: Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat until it’s smoking hot. Add a splash of oil and wait about 20 seconds for the oil to get hot, too. Then carefully place the steak in the hot pan, don’t throw it, place it. If you are scared to burn yourself don’t place it with your hands, place it with thongs. Since the steak isn’t cold you can totally place it with your hands though, the oil won’t shoot out.
Number 4: Do not overcook. Even if you like your steak well done, take it out of the pan just BEFORE it is well done. It’ll still continue to cook for a couple minutes after taking it out of the pan. If you cook it too long it becomes extremely dry and unpleasant to eat. I like mine medium-raw so I cook it 2-2.5 minutes on each side and then immediately remove it from the pan.
Number 5: Let the cooked strip loin steak rest at least 5 minutes. 8-10 minutes is even better. By letting the steak rest on a wooden board after cooking you give it a chance to finish cooking and redistribute its juices. If you cut right into it, it won’t have your desired doneness and all the juices will run out making the steak pretty dry.
How to make the BEST Strip Loin Steak Video Tutorial
* and yes, I had to “cut out” the resting time in the video because hey, Instagram is brutal. 60 seconds or you’re cut off. Please, preeeettyyy please, don’t cut just into the steak once it’s on the cutting board. Wait. Be patient. I did wait, I just cut the footage out of the video. Very important detail though! It makes all the difference between a meh steak and THE BEST Steak ;)
Can’t find Strip Loin Steak? Try get some Skirt Steak instead. Yum!!!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 4-6 minutes |
| Servings | people |
- 1 10 oz strip loin steak
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 hand full thyme strings
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 large avocado
- 12 cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 hand full fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 Tbsp balsamic reduction
Ingredients
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- Remove steak from fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. Better 1 hour to get to room temperature.
- Generously salt and pepper steak on both sides.
- Heat pan over medium heat until smoking hot.
- Add a splash of avocado oil or other high smoke point oil, then carefully place steak in pan.
- Sear steak 2-4 minutes on each side. Right after turning the steak, add butter, crushed garlic and thyme strings and baste steak with the melted butter.
- Remove steak from pan and place on a wooden board to rest 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare salad. Wash and chop romaine lettuce, peel and slice avocado, destalk cilantro, peel and slice red onion and wash tomatoes. Add all salad ingredients to a big salad bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic reduction to everything.
- Cut steak against the grain into thick stripes and place on salad. Enjoy!
This sounds delicious!
There are several typos, though, that not only distract from reading but make it difficult to understand the instructions.
Thank you for pointing this out. I’m sorry for grammar and spelling mistakes. I’m not a native English speaker and rely a lot on my computer’s spell check program. Ugh. I just re-read everything very carefully and corrected everything that jumped into my eyes. I hope it’s better now.