Chef John's Brutus Salad

Combine the ingredients of mustard, vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and pepper in a bowl to create a well-blended mixture. This should take approximately 1 minute. Transfer the resulting liquid to an easy-to-pour container.

Roast pecans in a skillet over medium heat, adding 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Stir constantly until the pecans emit a pleasant aroma and have undergone a noticeable color change, which should take around 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the toasted pecans with sugar and salt, then continue cooking for another minute before transferring them to a plate to cool down.

Prepare the salad by adding romaine lettuce, sliced apples, dill, and tarragon to a large bowl. Add a generous amount of toasted pecans, reserving some for garnish purposes. Sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese on top, also setting aside some for later use. Drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette over the salad, then toss everything together. Take a moment to taste and adjust the seasoning as needed - you may not require all of the vinaigrette.

Finally, garnish the salad with a few toasted pecans and some grated Cheddar cheese.