Save The Pan Drippings From Your Steak For An Extra Tasty Salad Dressing

Topping a salad with sliced steak makes for a tasty and filling simple supper, but you can take the savoury goodness even further by using the pan juices to make an extra indulgent dressing.

Photo by Jules.

The idea comes from Sara Moulton’s Home Cooking 101, which is packed with ideas for making every meal just a bit tastier. Incorporating the drippings and juices into your salad dressing makes for a meatier, richer salad experience. If you’ve never made your own salad dressing before, rejoice in the fact that it’s fairly simple.

This handy chart can help you figure out ratios, as well as provide some simple recipe ideas and flavour profiles.

For a basic vinaigrette, you’ll want to aim for a composition of around 60 per cent oil, 30 per cent acids and 10 per cent other flavourings. I’d classify most steak juices as “other flavourings” but if you have a particularly fatty pan juice, go ahead and count it as “oils”. (You could pour the juice into a small measuring glass and let the fat separate out if you want to measure, but I’d probably just estimate.)

If you want to take a creamier route, you can always mix the juices in a mayo-based salad dressing, like this one from The Kitchn. Either way, the resulting dressing is sure to be delicious.

5 Simple Tips for Smarter Salads [Food 52]