This “world-famous” Gorgonzola Salad was a house-specialty recipe at Porky Manero’s, a classic steak and prime rib restaurant in Westport, Connecticut from 1959 to the early 1990s. To this day, the salad is legendary.
 
This simple, secret recipe is best served as an appetizer rather than a side salad to the main course.
 
And remember, it is the cool, crispness that adds so much to the taste – as well as the secret ingredient, the lemon juice!
 
This cool salad has a cool story. Must read to end…  
 

Ingredients:

  • Blocks of frozen, white (little green) gorgonzola cheese, kept frozen
  • Canola oil
  • Garlic
  • White onion
  • Green Pepper
  • Lemon (the secret ingredient)
  • Refrigerated iceberg lettuce

Procedure:

  • Put a metal mixing bowl in the freezer well ahead of mixing
  • Grate the frozen cheese through a grater; do not use a Cuisinart as it gums up the gorgonzola flakes
  • Return the grated cheese to the freezer
  • Finely chop the onion…and the pepper…then combine in a bowl and refrigerate until tossing
  • Press (not chop) cloves of garlic into some canola oil and let stand in the refrigerator to absorb the flavor

Note:

The above prep can be done well ahead of time and kept in the fridge or freezer

Mixing and serving:

  • Chop the refrigerated lettuce to bite-size pieces and transfer to the metal bowl from the freezer.
  • “Cold” is a key; it adds zest and freshness to the salad
  • Add frozen flakes of gorgonzola
  • Sprinkle in the chopped onion and green pepper. Toss – but toss dry; oil and lemon juice comes later
  • Once tossed, add a garlic and few tablespoons of oil. Don’t overdress with the garlic/canola oil or the salad becomes mushy
  • Toss lightly
  • Transfer to individual salad plates that have been cooled in the freezer
  • Lastly, squeeze some lemon juice over each plate immediately before serving, and salt and pepper to taste

This secret recipe is a favorite of Arthur Tauck Jr. a travel visionary who pioneered travel to all corners of North America and around the world – including leisure air charters in the 1950s and air-land tours to the National Parks in the 1960s.

In 1978, Arthur began bringing Tauck guests to the Bugaboos Lodge, in the Purcell Mountains for summer hiking and ‘heli-exploring’ was born.
 
Cool story. Cool salad.