Steak and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

One of my favorite memories of childhood was a salad my grandmother made with hot bacon dressing. It was a fairly simple salad, with fresh spinach from the garden, hard boiled eggs, onions, bacon, and this dressing! Oh my, it was hot when it hit the salad, so it made the spinach wilt a bit when you poured it on. I asked for it all year long, but we only had it when the spinach was fresh.

We had some left over steak from a dinner party we hosted, and some spinach in the refrigerator, so I wanted to make a salad for lunch, and the bacon was speaking to me! So, in honor of grandma, this is the creation. The salad could really be anything you want it to be, but the warm bacon vinaigrette is the star. I took some liberties with the original recipe, but I think grandma would approve.

Steak and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons warm bacon drippings
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Mix together until emulsified, set aside.

For your salad:
2 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 strips bacon, fried crisply, and crumbled
3 tablespoons bleu cheese crumbles
6 ounces grilled steak, sliced
2 hardboiled eggs, cut in half
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Arrange spinach on a platter. Top with onion, bacon, bleu cheese, steak and eggs. Drizzle with warm vinaigrette. Salt and pepper as desired.