Cauliflower: The New Face Of Steak

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

It is not every day that the most talked about dish at a new hot restaurant is the cauliflower. I don’t just mean there is a chunk of meat with a side of cauliflower. Nor do I mean that the cauliflower has been transformed into an unrecognizable version of its former self via the magic of molecular gastronomy. No, I’m talking about the full head of florets on display as the main feature of a new approach to cooking this member of the cabbage family: the cauliflower steak.

My first encounter with this novel interpretation was on a recent visit to Superba Snack Bar, a hip new restaurant in a residential section of Venice Beach. The early reviews and recommendations all shared a common awe for one must-eat dish: "cauliflower T-bone, parsley puree, orange and olive pistou."

Really? I remember thinking. I mean, I like cauliflower probably more than even the average person but even then, it is not the sort of vegetable that tends to evoke such passion, even in an age of Brussels sprouts and kale mania.

Upon ordering that evening, I was quick to realize the ingenuity behind Chef Jason Neroni’s concept. In a city particularly prone to food trends and populated with more than its fair share of vegetarians and vegans, turning a hearty vegetable such as cauliflower into a "steak" elevates the winter crop to a status that most vegetable plates are never able to achieve.

Neroni’s steak is a thick center cut of the cauliflower head which leaves the florets, otherwise prone to fall apart, attached intact to the hardy, edible stem which is more often discarded. The steak is then roasted until caramelized, a trick that cauliflower does almost as well as a New York strip. Served whole, topped with the sort of biting, pungent topping that compliments the fattiness of a red meat as well sweet, "meaty" cauliflower.

I found the cauliflower "t-bone" easy to replicate at home. Two, 1-inch thick center cut slices seemed suitable for appetizers for four, or a light supper for two. I produced the initial golden brown on both sides with a turn in the skillet and a solid chunk of butter combined with olive oil (just because you are eating vegetables does not mean this has to be health food). It took only an additional twelve minutes in a 400 degrees F oven for the stem to be tender enough to pierce with a paring knife.

While the cauliflower roasted, I whipped up a classic Argentinian accompaniment for meat: chimmichurri. The pungent combination of parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil was just the right balance of herbs and acid to compliment the sweet, roasted vegetable steak. For an extra kick of brine, I threw in a tablespoon of minced capers.

If Superba Snack Bar taught me one thing it’s this: treat your cauliflower with the respect that you might give a filet mignon, and eating your vegetables is far from punishment, it can be downright indulgent.

Serves/Makes: 2

***Roasted Cauliflower***

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon butter, divided
• salt and pepper

***Chimichurri Sauce***

• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper