The end of summer is always bittersweet. On the North Fork, we all look forward to the wine harvest. Live music on the vines and at the tasting rooms, the cool autumn air, the pumpkins and the foliage. I like to stretch the summer into the fall and keep the grill out until late October.
I had a friend who used to grill straight through the winter. A great fall dinner can be a flavorful piece of grilled hanger steak and a tomato salad with fresh herbs. I was inspired by this recipe by Tom Colicchio in Esquire Magazine. I adapted it for the grill and wanted to showcase the tomato salad. At the restaurant, we use a bit of fried green tomato in our tomato salad and it is perfectly crunchy and tangy against the sweet ripe tomatoes. Try it!
This dish pairs perfectly with a glass of Merlot from Pellegrini Vineyards.
Ingredients
Serves 2
The Steak
•1 lb hanger steak
•Coarse salt and ground black pepper
•1 tbsp canola oil
The Tomato Salad
•6 sprigs thyme or Greek Oregano, finely chopped
(Remove leaves from stems before chopping)
•chop one small red onion
•2 tbsps of reduced balsamic vinegar
•a sprinkle of fleur de sel
•a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Arrange thick slices of tomatoes on a platter or plate, sprinkle with herbs and salt and drizzle with vinegar and oil.
Instructions for grilling steak
1. Preheat your grill and season hanger steak with salt and pepper. Massage with the oil before setting on the grill. 2. Sear meat for 4 minutes on each side, turning it once halfway through to cook it evenly. (The temperature for a medium-rare steak is about 135 degrees.) 3. Remove meat from the grill and set aside.
To serve: Carve hanger steak into 3/4-inch slices and arrange atop the tomato salad.
Tom Colicchio is a North Fork aficionado and the owner of Craft restaurants and head judge on Bravo’s Top Chef.
