Tri-Tip Steak with Charred Corn & Salmoriglio
Tri-tip is a well-marbled, flavorful, and generally affordable cut of beef. It’s great for searing or grilling. Feel free to substitute your favorite cut, but if you’ve never had tri-tip, do yourself a favor and give it a shot. Charred corn, pickles, and feta is a heavenly combination - full of umami but still light and summery.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the steak
1 ½ pounds tri-tip steak (see note)
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Neutral oil
For the corn salad
4 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed
½ pound green beans, thinly sliced into rounds
½ cup pickled cucumbers, small dice (see note)
½ bunch scallions, thinly sliced
½ bunch cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped
3 ½ ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the salmoriglio
2 garlic cloves
½ cup (1-ounce) fresh oregano or marjoram
1 lemon, zest plus 1 tablespoon of juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more as needed)
To serve
Cilantro leaves
Aleppo chili flakes
Flakey sea salt
METHOD
Season the steak. Season the steak generously with salt on all sides. Rest for 1 hour at room temperature, uncovered, on a tray lined with a wire rack (air circulation is key). The steak can also be left overnight in the fridge (still uncovered) to dry-brine. Make sure to pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to temper.
Char the corn. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of neutral oil to the skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, until well browned and cooked through. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Make the corn salad. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl with the corn and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add more olive oil or red wine vinegar if the salad is too dry.
Make the salmoriglio. In the beaker of an immersion blender, combine the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a mortar and pestle is even better for this sauce.
Cook the steak. Wipe out your skillet and heat on medium-high. Pat the steaks dry. Add a thin layer of neutral oil to the skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the steaks and press down to make sure as much of the steak as possible is in contact with the pan. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Once a deep brown crust has formed, flip the steak and cook to an internal temperature of 110°F. Add the butter (if using) and finish the steaks in the butter, basting with a spoon until the internal temperature reaches 120-125°F. Remove the steaks to a plate and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice the steak and plate. Slice the steaks against the grain of the meat. Place a large spoonful of the corn salad on a plate. Top with the sliced steak. Drizzle with the salmoriglio. Sprinkle the steak with flakey salt and finish the plate with picked cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of aleppo chili.
Note: Try using “half” or “full sour” pickles for this salad. They are lacto-fermented instead of vinegar pickled. They’ll be less sharp than your typical pickle, but they’ll have more umami. Dill pickles can also be used but avoid an overly sweet pickle for this salad.
FURTHER READING
