Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pat New York strip steaks dry with paper towels. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and season generously on all sides with Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning. Let steaks sit at room temperature 15–20 minutes to absorb flavor.
- Halve avocados and remove pits, leaving skin on. Brush cut sides lightly with olive oil and season openings with Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Place avocados cut-side down on the grill. Grill 3–4 minutes until grill marks form and flesh is slightly charred. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Place seasoned steaks on the hot grill. Grill 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature 135°F), or to desired doneness.
- Remove steaks from grill and rest 5–10 minutes before slicing.
- While steaks rest, peel cooled avocados and dice into bite-size pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced little gem or romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and crumbled queso fresco.
- Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sprinkle with a light pinch of Spanglish Asadero Carne Asada Seasoning. Toss gently to coat evenly.
- Divide salad among serving plates.
- Thinly slice rested steaks against the grain.
- Top each salad with sliced steak.
- Serve immediately.!
Nutrition
Notes
- Season the avocados, not just the steaks — Brush the cut sides with olive oil and hit them with Spanglish Asadero before they go on the grill. The seasoning chars slightly and adds a layer the plain olive oil version won't give you.
- Pat the steak dry before seasoning — Surface moisture creates steam on contact heat, which kills the crust. Paper towels, then seasoning, then the grill.
- Preheat the grill to 400°F before anything goes on — A cold or underpowered grill steams instead of sears. You want direct contact heat and grill marks. Medium-high, lid closed while it heats.
- Rest the steaks 5–10 minutes before slicing — The juice redistributes during the rest. Cut too early and it runs out on the board. Tent loosely with foil to keep the exterior warm while you build the salad.
- Slice against the grain — Find the direction of the muscle fibers and cut perpendicular. New York strip has relatively short fibers, but slicing with the grain still makes the meat noticeably tougher.
- Dress the salad right before plating — Lettuce wilts fast once oil and vinegar hit it. Toss and serve immediately; don't let it sit assembled.
- This is already a complete plate — protein, greens, fat from the avocado, acid from the dressing. If you want to extend it, warm corn tortillas on the side turn it into a hybrid: salad on the plate, tortilla for wrapping bites.
- For a summer cookout spread, add lime-dressed black beans and charred corn alongside. The Carne Asada Seasoning bridges all three without flavor conflict.
- Finish with fresh cilantro, a few slices of white onion, and a hard squeeze of lime right before serving. The lime lifts the avocado and cuts through the queso fresco — don't skip it.
- Store the steak and salad components separately. Dressed greens wilt within hours; the beef keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the steak in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth — about 2 minutes per side is enough to warm through without overcooking. Microwave works too, covered on medium power. High heat fades the seasoning and dries out the beef.
- Rebuild the salad fresh: new lettuce, cherry tomatoes, freshly sliced avocado. The dressed components don't hold.