A Mexican Steak Bowl Is an Easy Dish for a Weeknight Dinner

Feel free to jazz up the bowl with thin slices of ripe avocado or your favorite red or green salsa.

Feel free to jazz up the bowl with your favorite toppings. Diane Rossen Worthington/TCA

All-in-one bowl entrees are a boon for the busy cook. I had lots of fun making this recipe with crowd-pleasing results.

This Mediterranean farro wheat grain is a happy surprise added to the traditional corn and black bean Mexican ingredients. Farro now can be found at Trader Joe’s and other markets, partially cooked so it only takes 10 minutes to prepare—a Seriously Simple tip. If you can’t find it, opt for traditional farro and follow the directions for cooking it. Make sure to cool the cooked farro to room temp for this recipe.

I’ve made the marinade and dressing in one bowl and then divided it for both the steak and the finished salad. You can use your favorite cut of steak—New York, flank, or ribeye—for this toothsome salad. I prefer the texture and quick cooking of skirt steak.

Cilantro has become an issue for some, so I always offer it on the side, chopped up, as a garnish. Feel free to jazz up the bowl with thin slices of ripe avocado or your favorite red or green salsa. The presentation and colors pop when you serve this in white bowls. Serve with chilled beer for a delicious combination.

Mexican Steak Bowl With Farro, Corn, and Black Beans

Serves 4

For the marinade and dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
• 1/4 cup store-bought Pico de Gallo or another red salsa
• Salt and black pepper

For the bowl:

• 1 pound skirt steak
• 6 cups cleaned and shredded light green and white romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cooked farro
• 1 ear shucked corn kernels (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup drained and rinsed cooked black beans
• 1 large ripe red tomato, diced

For serving:

• 3 tablespoons cotija cheese
• Extra salsa, optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, optional

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning.

Place the skirt steak in a plastic sealable bag or dish and pour over 1/4 cup of marinade. If the skirt steak is in one piece cut in half so it can evenly be marinated. Cover or seal. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

While the steak is marinating, transfer the lettuce to a salad bowl. Arrange the farro, corn, black beans, and tomato on top of the lettuce. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

When ready to serve: Heat the grill pan on medium high and grill the steak about 3 minutes per side or until medium rare. Remove from pan onto a carving board, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Then carve the steak into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.

Pour enough dressing over the salad and toss to evenly lightly coat the ingredients. Place the salad in individual bowls, arrange the steak slices on top and sprinkle with cotija cheese. Serve remaining dressing and extra salsa on the side. Cilantro is optional.

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