Ribeye Cap

Until it cools off, I am going to be lucky to get one post up each week. Between my work on Harmony Boards, driving around town with deliveries and family commitments, I have zero energy or desire to cook. That’s the greatest thing about living alone, you don’t have to cook if you don’t want to!

With that in mind, I haven’t cooked for weeks, so I had to go back nearly two months to Father’s Day to dig up this recipe and photos.

Of course, there was a Father’s Day Harmony Board. I kept light and fairly healthy since steak was on the menu.

I wasn’t certain what I was going to make for Father’s Day dinner until I went to Costco and saw the special Father’s Day Roadshow they had in the meat section. It was there that I found this beautiful U.S.D.A. Prime cut of meat.

To be honest, I’d never seen or heard of a Beef Ribeye Cap Steak before but it looked beautiful and impressive, so I snatched it right up.

The helpful and kind butcher told me it was his favorite cut and recommended that I grill it over medium-high direct heat for about 7 minutes for this thickness. “Thank you, will do!”

Remember: Be sure to always rest meat before cutting. Especially when using it in a salad like this was. Resting the meat gives time for the juices to get back into the meat. You will lose less juice when you cut it and when you eat it the meat will be juicier and tastier. If you cut it too soon, the juices, which will look like blood, will flow out and that is not a nice look on a salad!

Southwest Steak Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Steak

• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons lime zest (use lime in vinaigrette)
• 1 teaspoon minced dry garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon pasilla or chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper  
• 2 – 2 ½  pound Beef Ribeye Cap Steak

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad

• 4 ears sweet corn, shucked
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into thick slices
• 4 bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, and orange), cores and seeds removed and cut in half
• 4 avocados, peeled and cut into slices
• 2 heads butter (Bibb) lettuce, washed and spun dry
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat or blue cheese

Steak:  In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.

Then rub the mixture liberally all over the steak. Place steak on a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. While the steak is resting light a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high direct heat.

Place the steak on the grill and sear on all sides, for approximately 7 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness) on each side. Steak should be at 130 degrees for medium-rare. Remove and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Vinaigrette: Place all ingredients except olive oil into a blender, blend for 10 seconds, then with the machine running, pour in olive oil to emulsify.

Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Salad: Rub corn cobs, pepper, and onion slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. When the grill is ready, place veggies on the grill and lightly char on all sides. Remove and let cool. I highly recommend a grill basket for the peppers and onions.

Chop grilled pepper and onion slices and remove the corn kernels from the cobs. Line a large platter with the lettuce, and top with the grilled vegetables, avocado slices, and tomatoes.

Slice the rested steak against the grain and place it on top of the salad. Drizzle dressing over top. Sprinkle cheese over the salad and serve.

Serves 6