A few weeks ago we went to Fort Wayne, Indiana to visit some family.  Our new (and very cute) nephew was born so we wanted to meet him.  While we were there, we all met for lunch at a restaurant called Granite City.  I was told that we had to try these waffle fries with “Granite City Dip”.  You know that if the item is a signature dish, chances are it’s pretty good! 

So, we shared that and I also shared a gigantic, and delicious salad called the “Honey Rosemary and Focaccia Salad”.   On the website it is described as “A half-pound of fresh beef tenderloin marinated in honey, olive oil, soy sauce, chopped garlic, and fresh rosemary, then charbroiled to perfection. Hand sliced into bite-size pieces, then tossed in balsamic dressing with spring greens, freshly grilled herb focaccia croutons, Parmesan cheese, marinated balsamic tomato onion relish, and creamy bleu cheese crumbles”.   It was wonderful… and the marinade was divine.

So, as I usually do, I set out to find out how to make something similar at home.  Lord knows I can’t drive to Fort Wayne every time I want that dip and a salad.  So, I started my search.

Online, I found the dip recipe posted in several places, all with the exact same measurements and ingredients.  So, yesterday morning before work I threw the ingredients into a storage container and let it sit in the fridge for dinner that night.  I had a bag of frozen waffle fries for my son, so this worked out perfectly!

Then to find the marinade… I finally found one on Epicurious.com from Chamberlain’s Prime Chop House in Dallas, Texas.  It was published in Bon Appetit in Sept 1995.  So, the night before, I mixed it up in a large plastic bag.  That morning I took some fillet mignon and threw them in the bag with the marinade to “mesh” all day while I was at work.

When I got home, I threw the fries in the oven, cooked the steaks on the grill pan, and assembled the salad ingredients… all in less than 20 minutes.

For the salad, I used pre-cut salad mix, red onion, black olives, boxed croutons, chopped tomato, and blue cheese. 

I made Melissa D’Arabian’s dressing (a favorite in our house) as well.

Yep, less than 20 minutes or so of work.  Not bad!

Granite City Dip

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonaisse
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp curry
1/8 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp worcestishire sauce

Combine all ingredients with a whisk. Top with parsley flakes and serve with waffle fries.

Rosemary, Honey, and Soy Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
4 1/2 tablespoons honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
(this will marinate approximately 2 lbs of steak)

Combine all ingredients and let marinate for 2 hours to overnight.

Mustard Viniagrette
courtesy of Melissa D’Arabian

1 garlic clove, sliced in 1/2
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Small splash soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

This will work on about 3 cups of salad greens.

Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use. Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify. Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

~M