Remember when I said cauliflower has superpowers? I still stand by that. Especially after I made this pretty incredible Cauliflower Steak Salad with Sambal Matah. I've made this dish three times in the past 2 weeks and I have had no regrets about it. Not a one. Actually I do have one regret, which is that I'm only discovering Sambal Matah now and not sooner!
And now I'm thrilled that I have, thanks to my partnership with PC Black Label. I've truly been on a culinary adventure with their products. I mean, have you seen my Rooibos Chai Panna Cotta Tart? Or this Black Garlic Soba Noodles? And this time in my June Black Box was this epic jar of Sambal Matah, along with a jar of PC Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and PC Farina 00 Pasta Flour to play with. So much fun. You can check out their products and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood too at pc.ca/blacklabel.
This month I learned that Sambal Matah is a popular condiment from Bali, Indonesia. Its main components are shallots, spicy red peppers, garlic, lemongrass and sugar tossed in oil to become kind of a spicy relish or salsa used typically to top grilled protein like fish or chicken. It adds so much texture, zing and flavor! If that description didn't get your salivary glands tingling yet, wait until you hear the rest of the recipe :)
First, cauliflower steaks are pan-fried to golden then glazed in a sweet salty dressing made with tamari (or soy sauce), coconut sugar, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger while it finishes in the oven. The steaks are served over a bed of fresh shredded Napa cabbage, topped with drizzles of that dressing and generous spoonfuls of PC Black Label Sambal Matah.
And last but not the least: After my husband remarked that "all the best cauliflower dishes I ever tasted had some crunch factor" -- to which I vehemently agreed -- I naturally went with crushed-up bits of plain lightly-salted potato chips (my not-so-secret snacking addiction) AND plain rice cereal for a one-two punch on that all important CRUNCH FACTOR. My sister said I could have gone with nuts or something but that would be unquestionably less fun. I was feeling fun.
Again, no regrets. #balance right?
By the way, you know all those cauli steak recipes on the net that tries to convince you that roasting in the oven will yield equally fantastic results? Lies. Trust me on this. I've done it both ways so let's just save you the hassle of the same trial and error. PAN-FRYING IS WHERE IT'S AT. You'll know what I'm talking about as soon as the aroma wafts to your nose after it sizzles a few minutes in that hot pan not to mention the beautiful golden color you'll see when you flip it over. I am fairly efficient in the kitchen (you may read that as 'lazy') but I insist this browning step an absolute must for the tastiest cauliflower steak.
Don't let the word 'salad' in the title fool you - it's got all the flavors and textures going on. This is the kind of dish that can be eaten as a hearty side or as the main event. And to be honest, if you served it as a side, there's a good chance it will steal the show anyway because it is just too damn good.
C'mon! Let's go to Bali together! Or at least our tastebuds can...
xx
Cauliflower Steak with Sambal Matah
{ gluten-free, meatless, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free }
Recipe serves 5-6 as a hearty side dish, or 3-4 if eaten as a main.
INGREDIENTS
For the Glaze/Dressing:
1/4 C tamari (or soy sauce if gluten is not an issue)
1/3 C coconut sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp garlic, fine minced (1-2 cloves)
1 tsp ginger root, peeled and grated with microplane (or minced very fine to almost a paste)
For the Salad:
Avocado oil or other high heat oil of your choice for pan frying the cauliflower
1.5 lb (680g) large cauliflower head *see note below, rinsed and trimmed of green leaves
1 lb napa cabbage, washed and shredded (cut into thin strips crosswise)
1/2 C PC Black Label Sambal Matah
*If you can't find a large cauliflower, get two medium heads. Florets that are not attached to the stem can still be used in this recipe but If you end up with extra florets, freeze them and roast them another day for a quick side!
To Serve:
Scallion, sliced
Plain lightly salted potato chips, crushed slightly
Rice cereal
METHOD
For the Glaze/Dressing:
Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the Salad:
If the shredded napa cabbage is wet (from washing), spin it in salad spinner or pat with paper towels to get rid of excess water.
Preheat oven to 400f and line a baking sheet with parchment. Also, heat a 12" cast iron pan (or other heavy bottom pan) over medium heat.
While those are preheating, cut the cauliflower by placing it upside down on a cutting board and cut it into as many 1" steaks as you can, depending on how large the actual stem is which is what holds the 'steak' slice together in one piece. My pretty large 700g cauliflower yielded 4 steaks. If you went with two smaller heads of cauliflower, aim to get 2 (maybe 3) slices from each head and save extra florets in the freezer for another meal. That said, the loose clumps of cauliflower not attached to a stem can still be used in the salad, albeit they won't be in 'steak' pieces but rather in large florets.
Working in batches of two steaks at a time, add about 1.5-2 tsp of oil and gently place cauliflower steaks in the pan and slide it around a bit to make sure there is oil evenly on its bottom. Then leave it alone for 4 minutes or however long to get it nice and golden brown. Carefully flip and brown the other side the same way. Place gently on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with other steaks. Roast the baking sheet of panfried cauliflower in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Generously brush on prepared Glaze/Dressing (set aside the rest for serving) and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cauliflower steaks are tender but firm.
To Serve:
Place shredded napa cabbage on serving platter or plates. Add cauliflower steaks on top. Drizzle with additional Glaze/Dressing to taste. Serve the salad immediately while cauliflower is still warm, or serve it at room temperature. Once you are ready to serve it, top the salad with generous dollops of Sambal Matah, and sprinkles of sliced scallion, crushed potato chips and rice cereal.
I hope you try this tasty dish!
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This post was sponsored by Presidents Choice PC Black Label but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that enable me to create new content for this site!