Steak with Avocado, Cucumber and Anchovy Vinaigrette 

Summer in SoCal this year kicked in the door and announced itself with a vengeance, with the mercury climbing into triple digits with little transition or warning.

What better time than to celebrate living in paradise?

Tonight we ate outside, the dusk barely settling in at 8:30… bronze-skinned and bare-footed with a chilled bottle of rosé, the temperatures still well into the 80s.

New York Strip Steak: Aleppo Pepper, Kosher salt, miso paste, Kewpie mayo; with Avocado, Cucumber and Anchovy Vinaigrette. Served with grilled corn and cilantro garlic bread. 

Instructions

Begin by making the the Anchovy Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 teaspoon MSG 
• 4 anchovy fillets 
• 1 large garlic clove, grated 
• 1 head roasted garlic, squeezed (if no roasted garlic, add 1 or 2 more fresh cloves) 
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil 

Blend all ingredients together using an immersion blender, or small stand blender, or smush by hand. Refrigerate while grilling the steak; vinaigrette can be made a day ahead of time.

Next, grill the Steak: 

• 2 12-14oz New York Strip Steak, or cut of your choosing.
• Kosher Salt
• Aleppo chili 
• 1/4 tsp MSG 
• 1/4 cup Kewpie Mayo (get the real stuff made in Japan if you can find it, or any mayo will work fine)
• 2 teaspoons miso paste 

Set up your grill for 2-Zone cooking. Mix together all above ingredients, except steaks. Brush steaks with the mayo mixture. Grill steaks, beginning on the hot side of the grill, flipping occasionally, transferring steaks to the cool side of the grill as needed, until internal temperature reaches 130°F on an Instant Read Thermometer.

While steaks rest (15- 30 minutes), assemble the salad:

For the Cucumber/Avocado Salad

• 2 large avocados, sliced into chunks 
• 2 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch slices 
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh dill, minced 

Toss all ingredients together in Anchovy Vinaigrette, being sure to reserve 2-3 tablespoons for the steak.

Final Assembly:

1. Drizzle reserved vinaigrette over steaks and flip on the board a couple times to coat. Slice steaks against the grain.
2. Spoon cucumber-avocado salad onto the center of a dinner plate, top with sliced steak.
3. Grilled garlic bread and corn made a great accompaniment, but any starch would work well.