Asian Steak Salad

There are days when I would be happy to eat just a simple salad for dinner. Heck, there are days when dinner is hummus and pita chips, or a package of EZ Mac, or (ok, ok) a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. But generally when my husband and I are both home, we try to make a real, honest to goodness dinner. Which makes having a salad for dinner a little hard. Unless—the salad IS a dinner in and of itself. Which is definitely the case for this Asian Steak Salad. In fact, my husband even dubbed it “a keeper” which is the highest form of dinner praise in our house. I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, whose recipes are always fantastic (and usually man-friendly). The only changes I think I’ll make in the future is to leave the seeds in the jalapeno (it wasn’t spicy at all) and maybe cut back a smidge on the oil (reflected in the recipe below). I also added about a teaspoon of sesame oil, which was a nice addition to the flavors. 

STEAK MARINADE

Steak, cut of your choosing

2 Tbsps Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sherry

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

The original recipe suggested you use Ribeye steak, but for me, that is such a fatty cut of steak that I don’t think it would match well with a salad. It’s great for eating on its own, don’t get me wrong. I love me some grilled ribeye. But for this salad, I used Denver cuts, which I had never heard of before. They were great, though. Evidently they are known as the inexpensive cousin of the New York Strip steak. Mix your marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag and add the steak, then marinate for a half hour to two hours. In the meantime, make your dressing.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsps Olive Oil

3 Tbsps Soy Sauce

2 scant Tbsps White Sugar

2 Tbsps Lime Juice

1 Tsp. Sesame Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh Ginger, minced

1 Jalapeno, minced

Whisk together the ingredients for the salad and set aside. You’ll need to whisk again right before pouring over the salad. Cook up your steak as you like it, and slice it into thin strips. I used mixed greens for my salad, and romaine for my husbands, plus mixed in some sliced green onions. Toss the salad with 3/4ths of the dressing, then top with the steak. Pour the remaining dressing over the top of the steak and serve! You could top with cracked black pepper, but I don’t recommend cheese. Just doesn’t fit with this salad, and frankly, you don’t need it. 

(click here for printable recipe)