Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
To enjoy the full-range of cauliflower in one dish, from raw and snappy to caramelized and tender, cut a head into slabs and grill only one side. Flat sides beget more charring than florets because they provide more direct contact with the grill. To ensure the cauliflower doesn’t dry out, grill just one side. The tops will remain juicy and sweet, while the undersides will become deeply browned and nutty. Before grilling, any small bits of cauliflower that would fall through the grates are added raw to a lively sauce of dill, lime juice, chile and peanuts. Feel free to swap in another sauce you like on cauliflower or grilled dishes, like buffalo, parsley-olive or a nutritional yeast dressing.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 2small heads cauliflower, stems trimmed (about 1 ½ pounds)
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling and greasing the grates
- Kosher salt
- ½cup finely chopped dill fronds and stems
- 3tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 1fresh chile, such as serrano or Fresno, seeded if desired, finely chopped
- 3tablespoons roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a grill to medium-high. Stand the cauliflower on its core, then slice vertically into 1/2-inch thick slabs. (It’s OK if they don’t stay together.) Transfer large pieces that won’t fall through grill grates to a baking sheet. Drizzle generously all over with oil and season generously with salt. For any small bits that would fall through the grates, coarsely chop them and transfer to a medium bowl.Step 2
To the bowl of chopped cauliflower, add the 1/4 cup olive oil, dill, lime juice, chile and peanuts. Stir to combine and season generously with salt.Step 3
When ready to grill, clean the grates with a grill brush, then lightly grease the grates. Add the cauliflower slabs and cook on one side until deeply charred and crisp-tender underneath only, 8 to 10 minutes. (If using a gas grill, close the lid.) Use a spatula to transfer the cauliflower, grilled-side up, to a platter.Step 4
Spoon the dill-peanut sauce over the grilled cauliflower. Serve warm or at room temperature.