Food and Recipes Recipes Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad Be the first to rate & review! Celebrate field peas in this hearty and delicious salad. By Marianne Williams Marianne Williams Marianne Williams is a recipe tester and developer who has been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2016. Her recipes are featured in Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, Rachael Ray, Health, Cooking Light, and in various other publications and digital platforms. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 9, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Cook Time: 5 mins Active Time: 35 mins Marinate Time: 2 hrs Cool Time: 5 mins Rest Time: 15 mins Total Time: 3 hrs Servings: 4 Jump to recipe Who said you need lettuce to make a salad? This Seared Steak-and-Field Pea Salad may not call for any greens, but it's loaded with layers of flavor. A perfectly seared flank steak is the star of the show in this impressive, but achievable weeknight supper. While this meal doesn't take long to come together, it does require a bit of planning: You'll want to allow your steak sufficient time to marinate to soak up all the flavors. Flank steak can be a slightly tougher cut of meat, so this marinade—composed of brown sugar, white balsamic, and olive oil—also helps to tenderize the meat. A tip from the Test Kitchen: It's important to let your steak come to room temperature after marinating so that it cooks evenly; pat the steak dry to ensure a really nice sear. A cast-iron skillet is your best friend for this recipe—it does double-duty to sear the steak and char the vegetables. A light, bright field pea salad, showcasing the season's best produce, is the ideal companion to a simple cut of steak. The lightly charred corn and bell peppers match the charred, savory notes of the steak to create a well-rounded dish that tastes like it's fresh from the grill, with half of the effort. Craving a little heat? Add a poblano or a jalapeño to the charred peppers. Want to save time? Cook the field peas up to two days ahead; cover and chill. Or substitute drained, rinsed canned ones. Ingredients 2 tablespoons light brown sugar ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. white balsamic or white wine vinegar, divided ½ cup olive oil, divided 1 ½ pounds flank steak, halved crosswise 2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) field peas 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3 ears (1 ½ lb. total) fresh yellow corn, husks removed 1 large orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large planks (1 cup) 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into large planks (1 cup) 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh chives 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt Directions Whisk together sugar, ½ cup of the vinegar, and ¼ cup of the oil in a small bowl. Transfer to a large ziplock plastic bag; add steak. Seal bag; massage steak and marinade to coat completely. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. Place peas in a large pot; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, undisturbed, until peas are tender and just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain; set aside until ready to use. Meanwhile, remove steak from refrigerator; let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. While peas cook and steak rests, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside vinaigrette. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add corn ears. Cook, turning corn often, until charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to skillet, and add bell pepper planks. Cook over medium-high until starting to soften and charred on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat. Remove peppers from skillet; cool about 5 minutes. Cut corn kernels from cobs; discard cobs. Chop pepper planks into ½-inch pieces. Place corn, peppers, and peas in a large bowl. Add reserved vinaigrette; toss to combine. Set aside until ready to serve. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Pat dry with paper towels; sprinkle evenly with black pepper and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, and return to heat over high. Add steak; cook until charred on both sides and desired degree of doneness (2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, 125°F). Remove from skillet; let rest 15 minutes. Slice steak against the grain into ½-inch-thick strips. Spoon field pea mixture onto a platter, and top with sliced steak. Sprinkle with chives and flaky sea salt. Rate it Print