When you're in a pickle about what to grill, think about this salmon steak, rubbed with dill and served with a cucumber-dill relish. The herb mates well with salmon in both this and the previous recipe, but the results are entirely different.
SERVES 4
DILL RUB
| 2 | tablespoons minced fresh dill |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt or other coarse salt |
| ½ | teaspoon ground white pepper |
| 4 | 1-inch-thick salmon steaks |
CUCUMBER-DILL RELISH
| 1 | medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced |
| ⅓ | cup fresh asparagus tips, chopped if larger than bite-size, optional |
| 3 | tablespoons minced onion |
| 6 | tablespoons white vinegar |
| ¼ | cup sugar |
| ½ | teaspoon kosher salt or other coarse salt, or more to taste |
| Pinch of white pepper | |
| 1 to 2 | tablespoons water |
| Vegetable oil spray |
At least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before you plan to grill the salmon steaks, prepare the rub, combining the ingredients is a small bowl. Coat the steaks with the rub, cover them, and refrigerate.
Prepare the relish, combining the ingredients in a medium bowl. Add as much of the water as necessary to keep the relish moist. Refrigerate covered until serving time.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to high (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test).
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Just before you are ready to grill the steaks, spritz them heavily with oil.
Transfer the steaks to a well-oiled grate. Grill them uncovered over high heat for 4 to 4½ minutes per side, rotating them 180° once on each side. If there is any resistance when you turn or rotate the fish, re-oil the grate. The salmon is done when just barely opaque pink at the center with a touch of translucence remaining. If grilling covered, cook the salmon for the same amount of time, turning and rotating in a similar manner.
Arrange the steaks on individual plates, spooning equal portions of the relish over each and in the V of the "tails." Serve immediately.
TECHNIQUE TIP: When selecting salmon steaks or other fish steaks for the grill, try to pick ones with thick "tails," for more even cooking. If you have no other choice than skinny tails, they can be curled inward and secured with toothpicks.