Grilled Steak with Coconut Lime Sauce
Throwing a steak on the grill is probably one of the easiest fuss-free summer dinners. And while it's delicious, it can get a little ho-hum. Here's an easy-to-make, Thai-influenced sauce to serve with your steak that will really awaken your tastebuds and bump an ordinary dinner into a memorable meal!
The decision on this coconut lime sauce was split down the middle according to the judges at home--my husband and son gave it the thumbs down, while my daughter and I really liked it. Maybe it's a girl thing--who knows? The important thing is that this coconut lime sauce is designed to be served on the side. Now, I don't know about you, but "on the side" is a big thing in our house. I've learned my lesson about serving sauce on top of entrees or vegetables enough times that I now only serve something all mixed together, if I'm absolutely positive that it will be met with joy. There's just too much risk of unhappy people the other way, so with this "on the side" sauce, even if some of your eaters look at you in horror, the dinner won't be ruined and everybody will be at maximum happiness, at least for the 1/2 hour of dinner!
The sauce is a little bit tangy and a little bit sweet with the wonderful flavors of lime and coconut combining perfectly. It sort of tastes like something you'd get in a hip Asian-fusion place. So try out this combo tonight and see whether you can make at least half of your family happy--hey two out of four isn't too bad!!
Grilled Steak with Coconut Lime Sauce
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes for the sauce; Cook Time: Varies depending on how thick your steaks are.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Finely grated rind of one small lime
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling on steaks
4 steaks ( I bought boneless NY strip because they were on sale, but use any kind you like)
Fresh black pepper to taste
Additional lime slices to use a garnish (optional)
The Recipe
1. Preheat the grill or if cooking inside, turn on the broiler. Season steaks on both sides with a sprinkling of kosher salt to seal in the juices and fresh black pepper. Place on grill or under broiler.
2. Meanwhile make the coconut lime sauce. Into a medium saucepan, place the lime juice, coconut milk, cream, lime zest, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Then turn heat down very low just to keep sauce warm until steaks are ready.
3. When steaks are ready, let rest on a plate for about 5 minutes. Then serve with the coconut lime sauce "on the side".
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Cook What You Love by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. I left out the ginger. If you like, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh minced ginger to the sauce.
