Red meat can get a bad wrap, but it can still be part of a balanced and healthy diet. Plus, you can’t beat beef for hearty, meaty flavor. The trick is using lean cuts of beef in moderation as part of an overall diet plan.
This salad recipe makes smart use of beef by using thinly sliced strips of steak and supplementing the protein in the dish with pinto beans. Their rich flavor can stand up even to the flavorful beef. By using small strips of steak in an otherwise robust salad, you can stretch a pricey steak over several salads and save money. Consider using a super-lean cut like skirt steak. Add a simple marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic, grill until medium rare and slice on the bias before adding to our steak and pinto bean salad. Or toss in some leftover steak from the night before for a great lunch or meal on the go.
Lean, Mean Steak and Pinto Bean Salad
Baby spinach
Arugula
1 1/2 cups Randall Pinto Beans, drained
Steak, sliced
1/2 cup oil cured black olives, chopped
1 red pepper, roasted and sliced
3 scallions, sliced
2/3 cup rice, cooked, room temperature
Dressing
2 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Vidalia onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup oil (canola, grape seed or vegetable)
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl except for the oil. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture while constantly whisking.
In a large salad bowl assemble all the salad ingredients and gently toss with desired amount of salad dressing.
Grilling out tonight? Here’s the perfect dish for your grill featuring Randall Beans Pinto Beans
