Tomatoes and Fresh Herb Steak Topper

A great way to take a steak to the next level is with a steak topper. This steak topper recipe uses garden-fresh tomatoes, red onion, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and oil. It is a summertime family-favorite that comes together in minutes, and can be added to the top of any grilled steak.

Is your garden overflowing with tomatoes? If so, this is the recipe for you. It combines two of our favorite summertime things: outdoor grilling and tomatoes from the garden.

Grilling steak is something I associate with summertime. Although a good steak is always great on its own, there are dozens of ways you can add some flare with different sauces and toppings. Some of our other family favorites are blue cheese butter, avocado sauce or chimichurri sauce.

This recipe comes from Skinnytaste and I discovered it when our garden was overflowing with tomatoes. It quickly became a family favorite, and if you try it, you’ll understand why! With just a few simple ingredients, you have a delicious, easy, fresh, healthy meal on the table in minutes. We like this tomatoes and fresh herb topper the best over steak, but it’s also great over chicken or fish.

Tomatoes and Fresh Herb Steak Topper Ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Red onion
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Fresh basil or parsley

What steak cut is best?

The best cut of steak is truly a matter of personal preference, but the five cuts that generally top the list for steak aficionados are the tenderloin, ribeye, strip, sirloin and T-bone. 

• Tenderloin (or Filet):  This is the most tender of all steaks, and because of that, it’s usually the most expensive too. It has a very mild flavor. It’s usually between 5 and 9 ounces.
• Strip steak: This is a well-marbled steak with a firmer texture.  A strip steak can either be bone-in or boneless.  They’re usually between 8-14 ounces.
• Sirloin steak: Sirloin steaks are naturally lean. They’re usually between 5-10 ounces.
• Ribeye (or Rib) steak: A ribeye steak has the most marbling and richest steak flavor. A ribeye steak is a boneless steak, and a rib steak is bone-in (it’s also known as a bone-in ribeye). It’s usually between 8-14 ounces.
• T-Bone steak: A T-bone is two steaks in one: filet and strip. It has an iconic “T” shaped bone in the middle which separates the filet and strip. It’s a large steak and usually about 18 ounces.  Another steak that’s similar to the T-Bone is the Porterhouse.

All of these cuts come from the top and center of the steer. The reason for this is because that section of beef is the most tender and well-marbled. An easy way to remember this is that beef gets more tender as the distance from the horn and hoof increases. A steer’s legs do most of the work, so the muscles there are firmer. The loin and ribs don’t get as much of a workout, so they’re more tender.

Tips for grilling a steak

We talk a lot about grilling a steak on our site. Here are a few quick tips in case you need a refresher:

1. Start with a great cut of beef. See above for our favorite cuts.
2. Salt your steak. No matter how well you cook a steak, in order for it to taste good it needs to be seasoned beforehand. That’s where salting steak comes in. When salt is added to beef, it breaks down the beef’s muscle protein, draws moisture to the surface of the meat, and has a hydrating effect. It ultimately creates a juicier steak.
3. Heat the grill. Give your grill plenty of time to preheat. An easy test to do is the hand test. Hold your hand about 3 inches above the grill grate and count…”One-Mississippi, Two-Mississippi…”  If you can hold it there for a second or two, the grill is hot and you’re ready to go.
4. Always let it rest. It’s very important to let your steak rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. The reason for this is because meat is a muscle that has two main parts – protein and water. When steak is cooked, the muscle fibers contract because of the increased temperature. Then, the water is squeezed out of the fibers and the liquid moves towards the center of the steak. If you cut meat before it rests, the juice goes directly on your plate because the juices haven’t had a chance to be reabsorbed by the meat yet.

Steak grilling temperatures

Since this recipe centers around grilling a steak, it’s important to get the steak’s temperature right. Always remember that the key to doneness is the steak’s temperature, not the color. In order to know the actual temperature, you have to use an instant read thermometer. Here’s our favorite.

• Rare: 120-129°F  A rare steak is usually very red in the center and can still be cool to the touch. It’s just past raw in the center. For a 1 ½ inch steak, it will be approximately 6-8 minutes grilling time
• Medium-Rare: 130-134°F  A medium rare steak has a warm red center.  It’s many people’s preferred doneness. For a 1 ½ inch steak, it will be approximately 7-10 minutes grilling time
• Medium: 135-144°F  A medium-cooked steak is very warm and usually pink, not red. The steak will have a slightly drier and chewier. For a 1 ½ inch steak, it will be approximately 10-12 minutes grilling time
• Medium-Well: 145-154 °F  A medium well steak is usually just slightly pink in the center and has lost much of its juices.
• Well Done: 155°F+  A well done steak has no pink. It’s much tougher since all the juices have been cooked out of the beef.  For a 1 ½ inch steak, it will be approximately 12-15 minutes grilling time

KITCHEN PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Roasting Pan
• Meat Thermometer

ONE MORE THING!

Do you want to learn more about beef? Join our weekly e-newsletter where we share farm happenings, recipes and beef availability. Sign-up and get a cheat sheet with 9-must-ask questions before buying beef directly from a farmer. Or, we have an entire ebook about beef that goes through purchasing and preparing beef from a cattle farmer’s perspective.

Here are a few other links you may like:

• Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon
• 7 Steps to Grilling Steak to Perfection
• Easy Carne Asada Street Tacos
• Prime Rib Roast with Garlic Herb Butter
• How to choose the best cut of steak (Top 4 cuts)
• What everybody ought to know about beef cuts
• Homemade dry rub (the secret 8:3:1:1 ratio)

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