seared New York strip layered into Mason jars with a balsamic anchovy dressing and crisp vegetables, make-ahead salads for the week

The hard question on this protocol shows up midweek, not at dinner: what do you eat for lunch on a Wednesday when you are tired and the fridge has nothing ready? These jars answer it 4 days in advance.

Beef gives you zinc, which the body relies on for immune regulation, and iron for carrying oxygen to the tissue that is busy repairing itself. The strip steak carries complete, satisfying protein, and the carrots, radishes, and celery underneath stay crisp instead of wilting, so the jar still tastes like a real meal by Thursday.

Give the steak a proper sear and a real rest before you slice it, the kind of care you would give a dinner you were proud of. That handful of minutes is what makes a jar built on a Sunday still taste considered by Wednesday.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (anchovies, oil, and salt only, a clean-label paste)

For the steak:

• 1 New York strip steak, 8 to 10 ounces, or a similar cut
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

For the salad:

• 4 carrots, cleaned and cut into coins
• 12 small radishes, cleaned and sliced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 romaine hearts, or 1 full head, cut into bite-sized pieces

Method

Season the steak well with salt and let it come toward room temperature. Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the steak about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, or to your liking, then move it to a board and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice it thin against the grain.

Shake all the dressing ingredients together in a jar until they emulsify and the anchovy paste dissolves.

Build each Mason jar in order so it keeps. Pour a couple of tablespoons of dressing into the bottom of each jar. Layer the hardiest vegetables next, the carrots, radishes, and celery, so they sit in the dressing without going soggy. Add the romaine on top, then the sliced steak last. Seal the jars and refrigerate.

When you are ready to eat, tip a jar into a bowl so the dressing coats everything, or shake the closed jar and eat straight from it. The salads keep for several days chilled.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com*