Liven up your week with a quick, adaptable steak salad
Liven up your shelter-in-place cooking this week with a Thai-inspired steak salad that’s easy to adapt to your grocery haul.
First whisk together a big batch of a pantry-friendly, fish sauce-filled vinaigrette that does double duty as a marinade and salad dressing. Divide it in half and save one portion for the salad. The rest goes into a bowl with the meat for a 10-minute marinade. For the steak itself, choose boneless cuts that are about 1 inch thick so that they cook quickly, but not so quickly that you run the risk of flying past a perfect medium-rare. It doesn’t matter too much what specific steak you use; I’ve used both sirloin and boneless rib-eye here to great success. (If you’d rather not use beef, you can adapt the recipe by following the note below the recipe.)
I like to cook the steak using what I call the many-flip technique — heat a heavy skillet over high heat, then add the steaks sans oil (there’s plenty already in the marinade) and sear, flipping every 30 to 60 seconds, until cooked through. You’ll get a uniform doneness following this method, as well as a seriously good sear. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing and tossing with a crunchy blend of packaged coleslaw mix, whatever fresh herbs you can get your hands on, and the remaining dressing.
Thai-Style Steak Salad
- 6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar with 1 teaspoon sugar added
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sesame or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- About 2 pounds 1-inch-thick boneless steak(s) of any kind (see note)
- 1 (1-pound) bag coleslaw or other salad mix
- 1 bunch cilantro, mint, basil or any other fresh herb, roughly chopped
- On the side: Steamed white rice (optional)
- Whisk together the vinegar, sugar (if using), fish sauce, sesame oil, and salt in a liquid measuring cup until the salt has dissolved and the mixture has emulsified. Pour half into a large bowl, reserving the rest for the salad. Add the steaks to the bowl with the vinegar mixture and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- After about 5 minutes of marinating time, begin heating a large cast-iron or carbon steel skillet over high heat. When the steaks are ready, remove them from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and add to the skillet. (Discard the marinade.) Cook, flipping the steaks every 30 to 60 seconds, until they register 125 degrees for medium-rare, about 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent charring. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
- While the steak is resting, combine the coleslaw mix and cilantro in a second large bowl. Add the remaining vinegar mixture, toss to coat, and season to taste with salt. Thinly slice the steak across the grain, then add to the salad, along with any juices remaining on the plate. Toss one more time, then serve with the rice, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
- Note: If you don’t have or would prefer not to use beef, you can adapt this recipe to work with any boneless protein, such as chicken thighs or pork chops. Marinate and sear on both sides as directed, then transfer the skillet, with the protein on it, to a 425 degree oven and roast until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
Nutritional information
Per serving: based on 4 (using steak) - 660 calories (percent of calories from fat, 65), 44 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 48 grams fat (15 grams saturated), 145 milligrams cholesterol, 726 milligrams sodium.RELATED:
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