This post is all about your new favorite way to eat lettuce! But let’s start with the steak because that is where we get le fond!!!

Steak marinades can be made from almost anything, but this tamarind marinade from Bon Appetite for Spicy Tamarind Skirt Steak is hard to beat!

When I was starting my marinade, I tossed my leftover dressing from my Roasted Summer Vegetables with Miso Lime Dressing right in, because my stance on wasting food is the same as The Bachelor franchise’s stance on women with short hair: only for Bekah M.

If you have leftover miso lime dressing, it will only make your marinade more flavorful. If not, just follow the recipe as it is written and meet me when you’re steak is resting in the oven so we can talk about what to do with the pan.

NOTE: I used New York strip steak instead of skirt steak because I was making dinner for one and New York strip is my favorite cut of beef.

NOTE II: resting meat after cooking is a real thing that you should do, if only because it gives you time to deglaze your pan!

Alright, your steak is cooked just right and it’s taking a breather. What now?

Pan Dressing

1/4 cup tasty liquid

2-3 tbs tangy liquid

2-3 tbs flavorful extra virgin olive oil

Etc.

(See notes below on suggestions for ingredients)

Now it’s time to add some liquid and some tang, and turn the heat back on, scraping up the brown bits, or fond, that formed on the bottom of the pan when you cooked your steak. Once the brown bits have come loose and dissolved in your liquid, simmer your sauce until is reduced to about 2-3 Tbs, depending upon how much salad you have to make. Remove the sauce from the heat, and pour your dressing through a metal mesh strainer into a heatproof salad bowl to remove any solids.

Add 2 Tbs of flavorful, extra virgin olive oil to the bowl and whisk vigorously until oil and pan sauce are incorporated and look a little creamy. Put your choice of lettuce in your bowl and toss vigorously. Your steak is now well rested and you are ready for dinner!

In this recipe, I used beef stock as my liquid and lemon juice as my tang. Here is a list of other possible pan dressing ingredients that you could use, but the possibilities are endless and you likely already have everything you need to make a delicious pan dressing in your fridge and pantry! Feel free to experiment because it’s pretty fool proof.

Tasty Liquids

Vegetable or animal stock

Bone broth

Red or white wine

Apple juice

In a pinch, water (but only in a pinch)

Tangy Liquids

Citrus fruits

Vinegar

Pickle brine

Soy sauce

Fish sauce

Etc.

Capers (fried Crispy for extra yum!)

Anchovies paste

Miso

Hot sauce

Pesto

Cashew butter

Mayo

Sesame oil

Cracked black pepper

Chili oil

Garlic paste

Worcestershire sauce