Mexican Beef Salad
Submitted by Barbk
Mexican beef salad with seared round steak strips, hominy, olives, and Monterey Jack over lettuce and tomato in a cumin-oregano vinaigrette. A Tex-Mex taco-salad alternative.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minA Tex-Mex composed salad that uses hominy instead of beans and seared strips of round steak instead of ground beef for a different textural experience than standard taco salad. The microwave cooks the beef fast and lets you build the warm dressing in the same dish, keeping the recipe to a single vessel from start to finish.
Freezing the round steak for 30 minutes before slicing is the key prep move. Partially frozen meat holds its shape against the knife so you can cut paper-thin strips across the grain (across the grain, always, or the steak chews like rope). Meat tenderizer and a quick microwave cook bring tougher round steak to an acceptable tenderness in under five minutes.
The dressing is really a hot pan sauce. Drippings from the cooked beef get bumped with fresh oil, vinegar, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, then microwaved 30 seconds until bubbling. Tossing the hot dressing with the warm meat and hominy (puffy, chewy corn kernels treated with alkaline water) lets everything absorb the flavor. Cold lettuce and tomatoes go in last so they wilt just enough to marry with the sauce without turning limp.
Top with shredded Monterey Jack and serve immediately while still warm.
Chef Tips
- Slice partially frozen meat with a very sharp knife. Thin slices cook faster and chew more tenderly.
- Drain hominy well before adding. Canning liquid dilutes the dressing and mutes the spices.
- Use fresh ground cumin if possible. Pre-ground cumin loses punch within months of opening.
- Serve immediately. Lettuce wilts fast against warm dressing, and the salad loses its texture within 30 minutes.
Variations
- Swap beef for chicken breast, pork loin, or ground turkey strips.
- Add diced avocado and fresh cilantro just before serving for creaminess and herbal lift.
- Serve in crispy taco shells or over tortilla chips for a proper taco salad presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Partially freeze meat.
Slice meat across the grain into bite-size strips.
Sprinkle meat tenderizer over meat. In a 1½-quart microwave-safe casserole, combine beef and 1 tablespoon oil.
Cover with waxed paper.
Cook on high power 3 to 5 minutes or until meat is done, stirring every 2 minutes.
Remove meat, reserving drippings in dish.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to drippings.
Stir in vinegar, salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper.
Cook, uncovered, on high power about 30 seconds or until bubbly.
Add meat, hominy, onions, green pepper and olives.
Toss gently to coat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine meat mixture, torn lettuce and tomatoes.
Toss gently to coat. Spoon mixture onto lettuce-lined plates.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Comments
