This recipe is exceptionally weeknight-friendly—it goes from start to finish in less than an hour—and fully adaptable depending on the tastes of your family. At its core, this is a pairing of a quick-cooking protein and a crunchy salad, with a dressing built on pantry items. You can use skirt steak, flank steak, thin-cut pork chops, skinless, boneless chicken thighs, or a fish fillet, such as skin-on salmon, red snapper, or striped bass. In place of iceberg, you can substitute savoy cabbage, romaine hearts, or sliced cucumbers—so just use what you happen to have or whatever is in season. One key: Don’t shake the can of coconut milk before opening it—you’ll use the layer of cream on top as the fat for the sweet-and-spicy dressing, which is mellowed by the cooling iceberg lettuce, rich avocado, and marbled cut of steak. Transfer the unused coconut milk to a clean jar and refrigerate it for making soup or a curry (it will hold for several days).
Recipe information
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine chile, garlic, ginger, coconut cream, and lime juice. Season with salt and stir to combine. Stir in coconut and taste dressing: It should be fairly tangy, spicy, and salty to balance the mild iceberg. Dressing may seize up and seem very thick, but it will loosen up when tossed with the salad.
Step 2
Season steak on both sides with salt.
Step 3
Place a 10- or 12-inch skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it shimmers, place steaks carefully into pan and cook, undisturbed, until browned on underside, 2–3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on second side and medium-rare, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer steaks to a platter and let rest 5–10 minutes before cutting against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
Step 4
Add lettuce and cilantro to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Taste the lettuce and add more salt and/or lime juice if needed. Add avocado and toss gently to distribute. Serve steak and salad with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe notes
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