In the Midwest we have been itching for warmer weather. Where has it been this year? Now that it is May I have faith it will show up {please show up} – but until then, while I wait, I’ll eat this salad and pretend!
Cobb salads have long been a favorite of mine. I’m guessing because it is not frowned upon to add ALL THE THINGS to it – the options are endless! Chopped egg, bacon, fresh tomatoes, grilled meats, crumbled cheeses, any type of dressing you want – there are no rules.
But, up until now I’ve only ever made {or ordered} a chicken cobb salad. Well today I’m changing it up! The Iowa Beef Council and I wanted to give you this beautiful steak version.
Enter in this GORGEOUS ribeye. It’s probably my favorite cut of steak – the ultimate, juicy cut with ribbons of marbled fat resulting in an ultra-flavorful bite of meat.
You can certainly use any steak cut for this salad to grill up, but I prefer ribeye. It cooks up quick, even if you like it rare or well done, you get to pick! I always heavily season mine with McCormick Montreal Grill Mates Steak Seasoning. It’s peppery and gives the steak a nice outside crust.
When ready to grill remove your steaks from the fridge and rub on that seasoning!
This steak can be cooked on your outside grill or in a skillet or cast iron pan inside. The key either way is to get the grill or pan nice and hot {almost screaming hot} so that when you place the steak on it that hot sizzle creates a nice sear. Once you lay it down, don’t move it around – allow that crust to form. Depending on your desired doneness will depend on how long you cook it on each side.
For steaks 1/2 inch or thicker, insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally from the side, so that it penetrates the thickest part or the center of the steak, not touching bone or fat.
For medium-rare the temperature should read 145°F, the temperature for medium steaks should read 160°F, and well done is 170°F. After cooking, let steaks rest before serving
For this 1-inch-thick steak, I grilled it for 3 minutes a side and it made it a perfect medium rare. Again – cook it how you like! But generally, the less you move the steak around the more tender and juicier the steak will be.
For this cobb salad I added some of my favorites – creamy sliced avocado, salt and peppered hard-boiled eggs, crumbled feta cheese and juicy grape tomatoes. Like most Midwesterners we love our ranch dressing, so that’s my dressing of choice, but certainly a nice honey mustard or vinaigrette works too.
There is SO much flavor in this salad!
Remember make this cobb salad your own! If you enjoy bleu cheese over feta, switch it out. Want some bacon? Add it! Don’t like avocados, but love chopped sweet peppers? Give it the old switch-a-roo. The steak is the star of the show – everything else is just an added bonus.
There are many more fun salads that the Iowa Beef Council has showcased over the years. Browse here to see the full delicious list. They are not your average salads. I’m eyeing the Confetti Taco Salad!
I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this salad! The flavors are bold and trust me when I say it will bring a touch of warmer weather to your dinner table. I’d love to hear your thoughts below on the recipe card – give it a star rating after you make it!
A big thanks to the Iowa Beef Council for sponsoring this post.
