Steak and Cucumber Salad

Cool and juicy cucumbers are the perfect summer vegetables: add a touch of elegance here by slicing them into thin diagonal rounds instead of chunks. A zippy garlic-lime sauce adds some extra flavor to that crunch; top it all off with some juicy steak slices for contrast, and you’ve got a classic summer salad hot off the grill and ready to enjoy.

You can use your favorite kind of steak for this recipe: I picked sirloin, but flank steak would be just as good. And if you’re not huge on medium-rare, you can also grill the steak until it’s as done (or as raw) as you like.

The approach of grilling season always seems to bring up worries about the grilling process itself: isn’t that carcinogenic? You can get the full story here, but the short version is that no, it’s not. The amount of carcinogens produced is so impossibly tiny that it doesn’t even matter. And any kind of marinade – like the black pepper you sprinkle on the steak in this recipe – reduces that tiny amount even further. Do don’t stress out about carcinogens from the barbecue: it shouldn’t be anything to stop you from enjoying your steak.

Steak and Cucumber Salad Recipe

SERVES: 2 PREP: 10 min. COOK: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb. sirloin steak (or your favorite kind of steak);
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil;
• 2 cloves garlic, minced;
• ¼ cup coconut aminos;
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice;
• ¼ cup water;
• 1 tbsp. fresh chives, minced;
• 1 cucumber, sliced;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

1. Preheat your grill to 350 F.
2. Season the steak to taste with sea salt and black pepper, and let stand for about 10 minutes.
3. Sauté the garlic with some coconut oil for 1 minute in a small saucepan placed over a medium heat.
4. Stir in the coconut aminos, lime juice, water and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Then remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool for a little.
6. Grill the steak, grill covered, for 5 minutes on each side (or to desired doneness).
7. Cut the steak into thin strips, arrange the cucumbers on a platter, and top with the sliced steak and sauce.