Grilled Romaine Heart, bacon and blue cheese Finger Salad

This is a great "Man's salad" to serve guys that won't eat salads. Sell them on the bacon and blue cheese.  Plus, you get to grill lettuce.  How crazy is that!

I always see these packages of romaine heart lettuce in the store and think "Who's eating this much caesar salad?"  So I started looking into what else you can use this stuff for.  This recipe is based on one I found at Saveur.com and it was an instant classic.

Ingredients:

6 strips Bacon
5 Romaine lettuce hearts
4 oz Blue Cheese
5 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Ground Black Pepper and Salt to taste

Directions:

The Bacon:

• Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat, turning once for about 10 minutes. Until it's crispy and the fat is rendered.  Keep about 2 Tbsp of this "drippings" (fat) for later.

• Remove the bacon to a plate to cool.  Once cool, crumble it into small pieces.  

• Place the drippings in a small bowl and add the 2 tbsp Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.  Whisk until smooth and set aside for later...

Prep the lettuce: 

• Cut a thin slice of the root end to remove any brown parts; but not too much as you want the lettuce to stay together.

• Slice the lettuce in half length wise.  Remove any lose leaves.  It is preferable to have a nice tight lettuce heart.

• I like to drizzle olive oil over the lettuce as this point.  Not too much (unless you are from the Mediterranean).
  

Now to the BBQ:

• Heat your BBQ up beyond medium heat.  Oil the grill with something like grape seed oil.  

• Place the lettuce cut side down on the grill until slightly charred and then turn over.  The leaves will be slightly wilted, about 3-4 minutes depending on heat.  Watch it close.

• Remove from grill and place on a serving tray with cut side up (this will catch all the goodness to come!)

• Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the dripping dressing, and crumble the blue cheese and bacon of the top.

This makes a great appy or side salad to many dishes.  You can pick it up to eat or use a knife and fork.

Personally anytime you get to grill something that you never would have thought to grill its awesome. Remember that blue cheese goes great with Port.  Maybe have a desert that brings in a hint of blue cheese and serve a glass of Port.  Oh Ya!