Name: Steak with Charred Cabbage and Shichimi Togarashi
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 (1½-pound) skirt steak, trimmed and cut with grain into 4 pieces; 1 teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 small red cabbage (1¼ pounds), halved, cored, and sliced thin; 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias; 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice; 1⁄2–1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi, plus extra for serving

Why This Recipe Works

As you peruse the spice aisle at your local grocery store, you can always manage to find another blend to add to your cupboard. Most recently we’ve been loving shichimi togarashi (sometimes called Japanese seven-spice blend), containing chile peppers, orange zest, sesame seeds, and nori. To make the most of this spicy, citrusy blend, we seared up a steak and then charred some shredded cabbage in the pan (a hot skillet and flavorful fond are terrible things to waste, and both add extra interest to the humble crucifer) and sprinkled on this blend to give our dinner an extra boost.

Before You Begin

Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese seven-spice mix. It can be found in most Asian supermarkets and well-stocked grocery stores, or you can make your own. (Store-bought blends of shichimi togarashi vary widely in spiciness; use more or less depending on your taste.)

Instructions

Pat 1½-pound skirt steak, trimmed and cut with grain into 4 pieces, dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon table salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add steaks and cook until well browned and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest while cooking cabbage.

Add 1 small red cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced thin, and whites of 3 scallions, thinly sliced on bias, to now-empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat, without moving, until cabbage is spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and toss with greens of 3 scallions, thinly sliced on bias; 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon lime juice; ½–1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi; and ½ teaspoon salt. Slice steaks thin against grain and serve with cabbage salad and extra shichimi togarashi.