When was the last time you had a steak salad?
I love them, so I try to make them pretty often.

When I have 2-3 cuts of meat that I buy together, often I will grill them at the same time. One will be dinner, and the others are wrapped up for an upcoming no-hassle kind of meal.

I recently had a grilled Tri Tip chilling in my fridge from the night before, and I realized the best way to combat this dreadful heat was to use it as is.

The Tri Tip cut originated in Santa Maria, CA which was just an hour away from my hometown of Santa Barbara. Because of that, it surprised me as a young adult to meet people from all over the country who had never heard of it. Even worse were the stories from my friends who had moved away and couldn’t  have their favorite cut anymore. Honestly, it is one of the best steaks you’ll ever have, with just the right amount of marbling. It’s simple to grill, making it an all-around favorite.

Back to my meal…I checked around in my fridge and found some perfect organic accompaniments for the beautiful steak…

Cucumbers:
These Armenian cucumbers always have a good, solid crunch

Asparagus: Fresh, thin asparagus, barely sautéed in EVOO and dusted with pepper

Tomatoes: Vine ripe, juicy, deep red tomatoes

Avocados: (admit it, you knew those were coming)

And of course, the Tri Tip:

Then I added some red leafy lettuce, and romaine, and blended all my components together. I topped it with some Roquefort cheese,  black pepper, and finished it with aged balsamic vinegar and good EVOO. Voilá – a chilled dinner is served!

In case you were wondering where exactly the Tri Tip came from, I found this handy dandy illustration…

So what do YOU put in your steak salad? I’d love to hear about it!