This was inspired by the Tuscan salad of bread and tomato.
In this healthier version we’ve swapped the bread for some finely sliced beef, to turn it into more of a main course salad.
Beef ‘Panzanella’
Ingredients
- 2 steaks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 250 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cucumber finely sliced into rounds
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley leaves picked
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or frying pan on a very high heat for a few minutes.
- Scatter a thin layer of fine salt over the base of the pan and add the steak, Sear for 4 minutes on the first side.
- Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.
- Toss the tomato & cucumber into the dressing and place the parsley on top.
- Turn the steaks and cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium-rare. Longer if you prefer.
- Remove steaks from the pan and finely slice into strips, discarding any excess fat or sinew. Toss into the salad and serve.
Variations
vegetarian / vegan / more substantial – go for a classic panzanella and use a few handfuls of torn rustic bread instead of the beef. The bread will be much drier so double the dressing ingredients. You could also use chickpeas in the place of beef or see the mushroom panzanella below. Vegetarians could also try pan fried halloumi in the place of the beef.
mushroom panzanella – pan fry a couple of handfuls of button mushrooms in a little butter until browned and tender. Toss into the salad instead of the beef.
basil -while flat leaf parsley is lovely, I’ve just realised that fresh basil leaves would take this salad to a new level.
budget – use half steak and half torn stale bread. You could also double the cucumber to bulk it out a bit more. For a slower carb budget option, use drained canned white beans instead of the bread
more veg – add extra salad veg like chopped peppers or shaved zucchini.
more substantial (low carb) – add some shaved parmesan, extra steak and/or roast Macadamias.
more substantial (carb lovers) – roast veggies or croutons.
Waste Avoidance Guide
steaks – freeze them.
lemons – will keep for a few weeks at room temp or for much longer in the fridge.
cherry tomatoes – either halve and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes (180C / 350F) OR just cook in a pan with a little olive oil. In either case store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks. Or freeze the cooked tomato for longer periods.
cucumber – use for another meal. Will keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for 2 weeks or so.
flat leaf parsley – will keep for about 2 weeks wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer can be frozen, will wilt when you defrost it but still edible.
Problem Solving Guide
too dry – not enough dressing! Drizzle over a little more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
beef dry or tough – you can either blame the beef or call it overcooked. If it’s still pink, that’s a good sign that it’s the beef’s fault and not the cook. Either way, chopping the beef as finely as possible will help and adding a little more oil to keep things moist. Next time try a different cut of steak or a different butcher.
too salty – the danger of cooking meat on a salt crust like this is that you end up with too much salt. If you detect excess salt before you toss the beef in the salad, you can try wiping the surface with a clean damp paper towel. Otherwise, just dilute the salt with more dressing. Next time be more sparing in the salt layer.
bland – don’t forget to be generous with the seasoning.
short on time? – finely slice the raw beef into strips and stir fry in a little oil instead of the salt crust cooking method.
Prepare Ahead?
You could make this salad in advance and serve cold from the fridge. But I think it’s nicer with the hot beef and cool salad ingredients.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I used boar instead of beef, and rocket, spinach, and basil leaves instead of parsley. Turned out pretty good!
wow Colleen! I’ve never cooked with boar – sounds so exotic 🙂
It does, doesn’t it? I’m in Cork, Ireland, and there’s a farm in West Cork that provides boar, venison, and goat meat products. I never would have tried something like boar otherwise. It’s a tastier type of pork. I just fried in the pan per your recipe, and it came out lovely and tender.
I’ve got access to wild boar. What cut did you use? Did you cook it well done, like for pork in general?
I got a boar steak. I don’t know any other name for it. I cooked is rare to medium-rare, but you can cook it longer if that is your preference. I was kind of winging it.
This was a perfect summer dinner salad. Used juice of half a juicy lemon, so needed a little more olive oil. Salting the pan instead of the meat was brilliant, and gave just the right saltiness to the meat, as well as preventing sticking on the first side.
So glad you enjoyed Jean!
An Awesome Summer Salad! The dressing gave it a beautiful light taste and was smashed down by the whole family. I added a handful of spinach leaves just to give it a wee bit more substance as the wee ones would not be too keen on just parsley leaves. Really like the mushroom idea and might add some mushrooms to the mix next time I make it. And I will be making it again! Thanks
So glad your family liked it Jim!