Mexican Grilled Beef Salad Recipe

Using the grill pan adds a wonderful smoky flavor to the beef.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds medium red potatoes
  • 2 large fresh poblano peppers—roasted*, peeled and cut into thin strips
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ½ lbs. flank steak (trimmed of any excess fat)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese
  • Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold running water until cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes and cut into neat ½ inch dice. Place the potatoes in a large bowl.

*Roast the poblano peppers on the grill pan, under a broiler, or directly over a gas flame until charred. Seal in a plastic bag to steam for about 10 minutes. Rub off the blackened skin and remove the stems and seeds and cut into strips.

Add the poblano strips, onion, vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil to the potatoes. Toss to mix. Season with half the salt and black pepper

With a sharp knife, score the steak in a diamond pattern, cutting just about ¼ inch into the meat. Put the steak on a platter and rub all over with the vegetable oil, garlic, and oregano. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Let the steak stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat until hot enough to make a few drops of water sizzle. Put the steak on the hot pan and cook until brown grill marks appear on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and cook 3 to 4 minutes for rare, about 5 minutes for medium-rare, or longer for desired degree of doneness.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand about 5 minutes. Cut the steak crosswise on a diagonal into ¼ inch thick strips. Cut the strips crosswise into bite-sized pieces.

Add the grilled steak to the potatoes and poblanos. Stir gently to mix. Arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Mound the beef salad on the lettuce. Sprinkle the cheese and cilantro on top. Serve at room temperature.