Description
This steak salad is packed with juicy flank steak, sweet corn, cucumber, avocado, cilantro and a little finely chopped jalapeño, all tossed in a honey-lime dressing. There’s no lettuce, so it keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on your preference.
Ingredients
For the steak salad:
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 teaspoons avocado oil (or another high-heat cooking oil), divided
- 2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and white ribs removed, very finely chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For the honey-lime dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 garlic clove, smashed (or pressed or grated for a stronger garlic flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start the dressing: In a large serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Add the smashed garlic clove and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes while you cook and chop, for a mild garlic flavor. For a stronger garlic flavor, press or grate the garlic into the dressing instead. (Alternatively, shake the salad dressing ingredients together in a jar with a tight lid.)
- Cook the steak & corn: Take the steak out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a cast iron skillet or grill over medium-high heat. Pat it dry with paper towels, then season the steak generously with salt and pepper, brush the pan or grates with 1 teaspoon of the avocado oil per side, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until it reaches your desired doneness. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it thinly against the grain and cut it into bite-size pieces. While the steak rests, sauté the corn kernels in the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Toss & Serve: Remove the smashed garlic clove from the dressing. Add the warm steak to the large bowl and toss so it soaks up some of the dressing. Taste a tiny piece of the jalapeño to check its heat, then add as much as you like. Add the corn, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño and cilantro and toss gently. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if needed.
Notes
Steak: Flank steak is lean and perfect cut into bite-size pieces, but any steak works, including leftovers. For medium-rare, cook to about 130 to 135°F; for medium, 140 to 145°F.
Corn: Instead of sautéing the kernels, you can boil or grill the ears of corn, then cut the kernels off the cob.
Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The lime juice helps keep the avocado from browning.
For the garlic: My favorite dressing trick for most salads is to smash a garlic clove and let it sit in the dressing for 5 to 10 minutes while I chop the vegetables. It gives the dressing a mild garlic flavor, and you just take the clove out before serving (and you’re not tasting garlic through the next day). If you love garlic and want a stronger flavor, press or grate it into the dressing instead.
Cilantro: Don’t like cilantro? Use arugula or parsley instead.
