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LATIN STEAKHOUSE SALAD WITH CILANTRO JALAPENO DRESSING

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Recently we dined with friends at Churrascos, a Latin restaurant in Houston that’s been around since 1988.  The restaurant is famous for its signature churrasco — a center cut beef tenderloin, butterflied and char-grilled.  But the restaurant has many other delicious offerings, including the Churrascos Salad.  The dressing makes the salad — a zippy blend of jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic — which you might be tempted to eat with a spoon (I recall for a while in the 90s they used to sell the dressing in grocery stores as Amazon Dressing).  Top with a few grilled shrimp or chicken and call it dinner.

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LATIN STEAKHOUSE SALAD WITH CILANTRO JALAPENO DRESSING
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Ingredients
  • For the dressing:
  • ½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, seed and chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • For the salad (all amounts are approximate -- you do you):
  • 6 cups field greens
  • 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
  • 2 jarred hearts of palm, cut into ¼" slices
  • 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small seedless cucumber, halved and sliced into ¼" slices
  • 2 ounces cotija cheese or queso fresco
  • ½ cup fried tortilla strips (see note in instructions)
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, place in a serving container with a spoon or small ladle.
  2. To make the salad, place field greens, lettuce, hearts of palm, tomatoes, radishes, capers, red onion, and cucumber in a large bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over top, followed by tortilla strips. Serve with dressing on the side so that each person may dress their salad as desired.
  3. Note: If you don't have prepared tortilla strips, you can easily make them. Thinly slice 2 or 3 tortillas. Heat about ¾" vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the tortilla strips and fry, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining strips.

You might be tempted to just eat it with a spoon

Homemade tortilla strips, for when you can’t find where you put the bag you bought

Ready to get dressed and go outCool, creamy, zippy