Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Peppadews

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground fennel
• Kosher salt and ground
• black pepper
• 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin *olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped Peppadew peppers, drained
• 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 8 cups baby arugula
• 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved (¾ cup)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the fennel, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Coat the steak with the seasoning, then let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup, whisk together 6 tablespoons of the oil, the lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil until beginning to smoke. Add the teak and sear, without moving, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown on the second side, about another 2 minutes for rare to medium-rare.
3. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes. Return the skillet to the heat. Add the Peppadews and garlic, then cook for 30 seconds. Stir the dressing,then add half of it to the skillet, along with any juices from the meat on the plate, scraping the pan to deglaze.
4. In a large bowl, toss the arugula with the remaining dressing and half of the Parmesan, then divide among serving plates. Thinly slice the steak against the grain, then arrange slices over the arugula. Spoon some warm pan sauce over each serving. Top with the remaining Parmesan.

Notes

• Our steak salad takes inspiration trom classic Malian tagliata, then skip, across continents with the addition of Peppadews, tangy peppers pron SoUth AtTica. A popular dish in Tuscany, tagliata is a simple presentation of thinly sliced, rare steak, extra-virgin olive oil, arugula and shaved Parmesan. We made ours work with an inexpensive skirt steak seasoner with a dry rub of salt, pepper and ground fennel. We then whipped up a simple lemon juice-olive oil vinaigrette. The steak got a quick sear, Then while it rested, we added thinly sliced garlic and chopped Peppadew peppers to the pan. In an unusual touch, we used half the vinaigrette to dress the arugula and the other half to deglaze the pan, creating a warm sweet-and-sour garlicky sauce that blended with the steak's juices. Pay attention to how you slice the steak. Cuts like skirt steak have longer, thicker muscle fibers than sirloin and tenderloin; they are relatively tough unless cut against the grain, which results in shorter fibers. Skirt steaks can sometimes come as long pieces; if needed, cut the meat in half to fit the pan. If you can't find skirt steak, flank, flat iron and bavette steaks all work well.
• Don't cook the steak beyond medium-rare or it will be tough.