Author Notes
You can serve these “steaks” in any number of ways—topped with grilled breadcrumbs with anchovies or over creamy feta or yogurt sauce, for instance—but I love how they play off spicy green harissa made with blistered tomatillos, serranos, and loads of aromatic herbs. This one’s a grilled riff on the one served at Gjusta in Los Angeles and bound to be your new favorite condiment: Leftovers are delicious on sandwiches, with soft-cooked or crispy eggs, and as a marinade for chicken orshrimp. —Paula Disbrowe
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe comes from Any Night Grilling: 60 Ways to Fire Up Dinner (And More). —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Cauliflower
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1
large head cauliflower
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1/4 cup
(60 ml) vegetable oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Green Harissa
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2
tomatillos, husked and rinsed
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1/2
onion, halved through the root
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1 or 2
serrano chiles, as desired for heat
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4
cloves garlic, unpeeled
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2 cups
(40 g) fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
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2 cups
(40 g) fresh parsley (leaves and tender stems)
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Large handful each of arugula and spinach
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2 tablespoons
white wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon
finely grated lemon zest
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1/2 cup
(120 ml) olive oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Flaky salt
Directions
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Remove the leaves and trim the stem of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact. Place the cauliflower core-side down on a work surface. Starting in the center of the head, slice from top to bottom into four 1-inch (2.5 cm) steaks. Place steaks on a rimmed baking sheet and any florets that break loose in a bowl. Drizzle the oil over the steaks and florets and generously season with kosher salt and pepper.
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Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high. Carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again. Allow a small cast iron skillet or grill basket to heat for 5 minutes before cooking.
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To make the harissa, blister the tomatillos, onion, chiles, and garlic in the preheated small cast-iron skillet or grill basket over direct heat, until charred and softened on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes for the tomatillos and chiles, a bit longer for the onion and garlic. Set aside to cool.
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Stem and seed the chiles, peel the garlic, and place them both in a food processor. Add the tomatillos, cilantro, parsley, arugula and spinach, vinegar, lemon zest, and olive oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
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Grill the cauliflower steaks (in a grill basket, if desired) over direct heat, rotating them around the fire as needed to prevent them from blackening before they're cooked, until deeply charred on the exterior and just tender at the core, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Grill any loose florets in a grill basket, tossing often, until browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Serve the warm steaks on a pool of harissa and garnish with the crispy bits of florets and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
Paula Disbrowe writes frequently about Food and Travel. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her bread baker husband David Norman, two children, and menagerie of retired ranch animals.
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