Southwest Beef Salad with Cornbread Croutons
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 22, 2021
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray 10 ounces store-bought cornbread, cut into ¾-inch pieces1 pound flank steak, trimmed1½ teaspoons table salt, divided¼ teaspoon pepper 7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped1 garlic clove, minced2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce (1 pound), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat rimmed baking sheet with oil spray and spread cornbread pieces in even layer on sheet. Coat pieces with oil spray and bake until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet and stirring pieces halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, pat steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Process cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly drizzle in remaining 6 tablespoons oil until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Transfer ⅓ cup dressing to large bowl, toss with lettuce and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice steak thin against grain. Transfer lettuce mixture to serving platter or individual plates, top with steak and croutons, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
10 ounces store-bought cornbread, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce (1 pound), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
10 ounces store-bought cornbread, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce (1 pound), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
10 ounces store-bought cornbread, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1½ teaspoons table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 heads Bibb or Boston lettuce (1 pound), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
Why This Recipe Works
For a bold yet easy-to-make dressing, we combined cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, and lime juice. Red bell pepper added sweetness and crunch to the mix, while mild Bibb lettuce allowed the strong flavors of the dressing to shine through. Corn is a familiar ingredient in Southwestern cooking, so we used convenient store-bought cornbread, cut into cubes and toasted to make croutons, to incorporate this flavor deliciously. To keep this recipe streamlined, we toasted the cornbread pieces while we cooked our steak and prepared the rest of the salad.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat rimmed baking sheet with oil spray and spread cornbread pieces in even layer on sheet. Coat pieces with oil spray and bake until crisp and golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet and stirring pieces halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, pat steak dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Process cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in food processor until finely chopped, about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly drizzle in remaining 6 tablespoons oil until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Transfer ⅓ cup dressing to large bowl, toss with lettuce and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice steak thin against grain. Transfer lettuce mixture to serving platter or individual plates, top with steak and croutons, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve.
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