Skirt Steak With Orange and Fregola Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pasta (fregola)
• 1/2 lb skirt steak
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 slices red onions (1/4 inch slices)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 medium navel orange, peeled, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 ounces baby arugula
• 4 large radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup tapenade, black olive

Directions

1. 1

   1. Preheat broiler. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the *fregola until al dente, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Shake off the excess water.

2. 2

   2. Meanwhile, rub the steaks with the chile powder and season with salt and pepper. Broil the steaks and the onion slabs over high heat for about 8 minutes, turning after 4 minutes, for medium rare meat and tender onions. Let steak rest. Let onions cool slightly, then coarsely chop them.

3. 3

   3. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the fennel, oranges, arugula, radishes, fregola, onions and toss well. Thinly slice the skirt steaks across the grain and arrange on plates. Spoon the tatenade over the steaks, mound the salad alongside and serve.

4. 4

   *Fregola (the Sardinian dot-shaped pasta) I found it at Central Market.