Can This Really Be A Steak Salad?
This wonderful recipe appeared in the February issue of Bon Appetit this year and quickly garnered five stars from reviewers. The flavors are fresh, complex, and delicious, but this recipe requires little time and relatively few ingredients. In other words, it’s my kind of dish! While I never thought of beef and curry powder working together, the combination is fantastic in this dish. I always think of curry powder being kind of a shortcut, only fit for chicken salad, but I now view it with increased respect. This will be my spring and summer go-to anytime I’m entertaining or want an easy but super delicious dinner, which will often be, as the flavors are nothing short of haunting.
This recipe is also very diet-friendly if you use a lean cut of meat like New York Strip. The great dressing contains no oil! The leftovers also make a yummy lunch the next day.
Ingredients:
Dressing
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Fish sauce (I used Red Boat)
1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/4 tsp. Morton Kosher salt
Two small Persian cucumbers
2 small shallots, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red Thai chilis or one Serrano pepper thinly sliced.
Zest of 1 lime.
Note: I could not find Thai chilis or Serrano chilies at the store when I went shopping. Instead, I used one teaspoon of sambal oelek. It added just enough heat for me. Also, I added not only the zest of the lime but a good squeeze of juice as well.
Mix and let rest for between 15 to 60 minutes. The recipe author did not recommend allowing the cucumber and shallots to sit in the dressing any longer to avoid them getting soft and soggy. However, my leftovers were still crunchy and delicious the next day.
Steak
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal salt or 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton Kosher salt
2 tsp. mild curry powder
1 tsp. Sugar
2 boneless rib-eye or New York Strip steaks
Combine the first four ingredients. Add the steaks (I used New York Strips) and massage into the curry mixture until well coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. I let my steaks marinate for 6 hours in the fridge and allowed them to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Heat a dry medium skillet over medium-high until very hot. I used my non-stick Le Creuset skillet, but Bon Appetit recommends cast iron. Who am I to argue? All I can say is that they turned out great.
Cook the steaks, turning them every two minutes, until deeply browned, and an instant-read thermometer registers 120 degrees (about 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare). Transfer steaks to a wire rack set inside a sheet pan for 15 minutes to rest.
Slice steaks against the grain and arrange slices on a bed of tender lettuce leaves. Spoon dressing generously over the steak. Scatter some chopped mint or cilantro on top. Serve to the sound of roaring applause. It’s honestly as good as anything I’ve ever made. The dressing, reminiscent of the cucumber salad typically served with Thai satay, is just unbelievably fresh and delicious with the curry-crusted steaks.
Your tastebuds will thank you, and so will your guests.
Serves 4