Name: Curried Steak With Sweet-and-Sour Cucumber Dressing
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup distilled white vinegar; 3 Tbsp. sugar; 2 Tbsp. fish sauce; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 small Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise, sliced ½" thick; 2 small shallots, halved, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 red Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced; Zest of 1 lime; 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp.Morton kosher salt; 2 tsp. mild curry powder (such as S&B); 1 tsp. sugar; 2 ¾"-thick boneless rib-eye or New York strip steaks (about 1½ lb. total); Tender lettuce leaves and cilantro and/or mint leaves (for serving)

A platter of sliced strip steak on a bed of lettuce cilantro and mint with a cucumber and shallot dressing.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Allison Ritchie

Inspired by Thai ajad, a pickled cucumber relish usually served with satay, this dressing is a fever dream of flavor. The complete lack of fat in the sauce brings clarity and sharpness to the balance of salt-sweet-heat-acid. The vegetables become softer and more pickle-y the longer they sit, so make the dressing no more than an hour ahead for optimal potency and crunch. The sauce is excellent over any grilled meat, like chicken, pork chops, or steak, alongside fresh summer rolls, or atop a bowl of warm rice with a crispy fried egg.

What you’ll need

Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Wire Rack
$23 At BA Market
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$30 $28 At Amazon

Recipe notes