steak salad with cilantro-lime mayo

Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Marinate Time: 1 to 8 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes plus marinating

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 limes, juiced
• ¼ cup finely diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 pound beef (flank steak, sirloin, or strip steak)
• 4 cups salad greens
• 1 avocado, split lengthwise, pitted, peeled, and cut into large dice
• ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and cut into large dice
• ½ cup Cilantro-Lime Mayo

You can easily swap out the steak for chicken, shrimp, salmon, or cod. Chicken can marinate for the same amount of time, but seafood should only “soak” for 20 minutes—any longer and the acid from the lime juice will start to turn the fish to mush. For a vegetarian version, use hard-boiled eggs in place of meat.

To make the marinade, in a food processor, combine the olive oil, lime juice, onion, garlic, cilantro, and mustard powder and blend on low speed. Place the beef in a resealable plastic bag or a nonreactive bowl with a lid and add the marinade. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours; more is better, especially for tougher cuts of meat. (Feel free to leave your steak marinating overnight, or start your dinner prep in the morning before work.)

Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a grill to high heat (500°F) or heat a heavy skillet over high heat on the stovetop. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Remove the beef from the marinade; discard the marinade. On the grill or in the skillet on the stovetop, sear the beef over high heat until a light crust is formed, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Transfer the beef to the prepared baking sheet. Roast the beef in the oven for 8 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness) to desired doneness. (See chart for temperature guidelines.) Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

While the beef rests, toss the salad greens with the avocado, tomato, and bell pepper in a large bowl, then divide between 2 plates.

Place slices of steak on top of the greens. Add 1 tablespoon water (or more) to the cilantro-lime mayo and mix thoroughly, until it’s the consistency of salad dressing. Drizzle the dressing over the steak and salad and serve.

✪Salad Greens You may want to choose a heartier green for this dish to stand up to the warm steak and bold dressing. Try romaine, endive, or arugula, or make a bed of baby spinach or ribbon-cut kale in colder months. If you’re serving your leftovers cold, a butter head lettuce variety (butter, Boston, or Bibb) would be delicious.