Honey Jalapeno Steak Salad
Grilled skewered sirloin steak makes this salad a lot of fun, and is a great way to enjoy a small portion of steak. Plus, if everyone in your family does not eat meat, you can easily prepare the same meal for everyone and just omit the steak skewers for some. I use cotija cheese in this salad, which adds to the saltiness, therefore I adjust the saltiness of the dressing for this salad. Because cotija cheese is a firm cheese that does not melt, it can be grilled along with the steak skewers to add an interesting texture to the salad. Here, I grill it and dice it to create a crouton like element to the salad and I also crumble it and toss with the salad to add flavor and seasoning. Overall, this salad has a lot of competing flavors and textures...crunchy grilled corn, creamy avocado, salty, sweet, spicy. All of this makes it extremely satisfying and enjoyable.
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin seed
- 1 tbsp shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 Whole jalapeno, roasted
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 8 oz sirloin steak
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1/2 Whole lime, juiced
- 16 oz red leaf lettuce
- 2 Whole corn ears
- 4 oz cotija cheese (cut in 1 ounce slices for grilling)
- 4 oz cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 Whole avocado, sliced
- 1 Whole heirloom tomato, wedged
- 2 oz red onion (cut in 1 inch cubes)
- 1 Whole red bell pepper (cut in 1 inch cubes)
- Steak skewer preparation
Trim any excess fat covering or sinew from steak.
Slice crosswise in thin strips.
Combine steak with all steak marinade ingredients.
Lace steak strips onto wooden skewers, alternating steak strips to form a 1/2 inch wide fold of steak on skewer. Place several strips on each skewer, forming a three or four in long steak skewer.
Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- For the dressing
Roast the jalapeno pepper and carefully remove the skin and seeds. Chop finely.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in small saute' pan. Add cumin seed and stir for several seconds until they begin to spatter. Add jalapeno, garlic, and shallot, and stir for several seconds. Remove from heat and place in dressing cruet or jar with tight fitting lid.
Add all remaining ingredients and shake vigorously to emulsify.
Set aside until assembly.
- Grill steak skewers
Heat grill on medium high.
Cover a 4 inch wide strip of the grill with foil to prevent skewers from burning.
Grill beef quickly on each side and serve immediately.
I like to assemble the salad completely before I grill the steak skewers and top the salad with the skewers as I serve them. - Vegetable preparation
Heat grill on medium high.
Alternate onions and peppers onto wooden skewer as pictured. Grill each side until lightly browned and tender, being careful not to burn wooden skewer. Remove from skewer for final assembly.
Grill corn until lightly browned on all sides, cut corn from cob in slabs.
Toss cotija cheese slices in a teaspoon of salad oil and grill on both sides to add grill marks to cheese. Cut cheese in cubes.
Cut avocado in quarters and cut each quarter in lengthwise slices to portion.
- Final assembly
Reserve a few lettuce leaves to form a base for each salad, and tear the remaining leaves.
Toss whole leaves in a drizzle of jalapeno dressing and place on serving plate.
Combine torn lettuce with salad ingredients and toss with dressing.
Arrange tossed salad on plate of leaf lettuce and top with grilled steak skewers.