Chipotle-Glazed Steak and Avocado Salad
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- Red wine vinegar
- 1 large (or 2 small) head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, pitted and chopped (see Cooking Notes, page 10)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 canned chipotle chiles
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
- 1/4 cup Mexican queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
- Put the onion in a small bowl and pour in enough red wine vinegar to cover well.
- Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado in a serving bowl or platter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar from the marinating onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Set aside until you are ready to dress the salad.
- Combine the ketchup, honey, chipotles, adobo sauce, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and puree.
- Set aside.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high for 10 minutes or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Brush the grill grates or grill pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Grill the meat for 4 minutes, turn over, and brush the glaze over the steak.
- Grill for another 4 minutes, turn over, and glaze the other side.
- Allow the meat to cook for another 2 minutes on each side to caramelize the glaze.
- Remove from heat and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
- (This is for medium-rare beef.
- If you want your meat cooked longer, increase the time you grill the beef before adding the glaze.)
- Pour the dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss well.
- Place the sliced beef over the salad and top with cheese crumbles, marinated red onions, and roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Serve.
- INGREDIENTS
- Skirt Steak versus Flank Steak
- Because they are so flavorful, these cuts are both great choices for the salad.
- Both are long flat pieces of meat, but the flank steak is much leaner and can dry out easily, so keep your eye on it when grilling.
- Because skirt steak is a bit fatty, it may need to be trimmed a bit before cooking.
- TECHNIQUES
- Glazing Meat
- Glazes provide flavor and texture to grilled meat.
- In order to do so, they must contain sugar so that it caramelizes in the heat and creates a crisp exterior with a depth of flavor.
- The sugar in this glaze is found in the ketchup and in the honey.
- And, in the same way that sugars caramelize, they can also burn.
- Brush glazes (and barbecue sauces) on meat toward the end of the grilling to avoid a burnt, bitter taste.
red onion, red wine vinegar, butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, salt, ketchup, honey, chiles, adobo sauce, skirt, queso fresco, pumpkin seeds
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chipotle-glazed-steak-and-avocado-salad-380174 (may not work)