Ramen & Steak Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Readers of my blog know that I am a huge proponent of using lump charcoal for grilling. It burns white-hot for searing and reaches temperatures that a gas grill can only dream about. It also has another benefit in that it produces very little ash. For those of us that dislike cleaning our ash catchers, that's a huge plus.

This week, Weber was kind enough to send me a sample of their new lump charcoal briquettes. I tried them out last night on a pair of Costco New York Strips. They burned fantastic and the heat was incredible. But alas, there was a lot more ash than when I burn plain old lump charcoal. So I'll give them an "A" for heat production but a "C" for ash residual.

I'm a sucker for any recipe that incorporates steak, so I'd like to share this new, Bon Appetit cold salad recipe with you. While you can use the cheap ramen noodles we feasted upon in college for this recipe, I'd like to make a recommendation to my fellow Costco shoppers. When you are in the Pasta & Rice aisle, check out Lotus Foods "Millet and Brown Rice Ramen". It's fabulous stuff...both organic and gluten-free!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tahini

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

8 ounces dried ramen noodles

Kosher salt

12 ounces thinly sliced grilled steak (such as NY Strip)

1 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage

1 cup cilantro chopped cilantro with stems

1/4 cup crushed, salted cashews

1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Whisk lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl to combine. Gradually add vegetable oil followed by sesame oil, whisking constantly until emulsified; set aside. 
2. Cook noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain; rinse under cold water, then drain again.
3. Toss noodles, steak, kohlrabi, scallions, cabbage, and cilantro in a large bowl with three-quarters of reserved dressing to combine and evenly coat; season with salt. Top with cashews and red pepper flakes and drizzle remaining dressing over.

Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc