I’ve had several conversations with my husband regarding the naming of this dish. “Don’t call them steaks”, he says. “Who are you trying to convince?”. I know these aren’t actual steaks. You know these aren’t actual steaks. Why would I try to convince anyone that this can replace a juicy, meaty, piece of beef? The name refers to the thick cut of the cauliflower, a heartier version of itself, the star of the dish.

The cauliflower is essentially treated like a steak, roasted at a high temperature to create a nice crust on the surface. It’s then basted with a spicy buffalo sauce and paired with a cooling herby whipped goat cheese. Radishes, celery, and avocado add some crunch and creaminess, and you’ve got yourself a knock out dinner salad.

Buffalo Cauliflower Steaks with Whipped Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, approximately 1 lb

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt + more to taste

pepper

1/4 C hot sauce, Frank’s Red Hot or Crystal preferably

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 C goat cheese

1/2 C sour cream

1/3 C dill fronds + more for garnish

3 green onions, cut into 2” pieces

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 large radishes, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced thin

1/2 avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove outer leaves from cauliflower and trip the stem. Cut into large 1” slices You will probably only get 1-2 large steaks that stay intact. It’s ok if the rest breaks apart into florets. Place cauliflower steaks on a large baking sheet and season both sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Make buffalo sauce by heating hot sauce and butter over medium heat and stir to combine once butter has melted.

Bake cauliflower in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, flip and cook for 10 more minutes to brown the other side. Remove from oven and baste with buffalo sauce and return to oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce has started to caramelize slightly.

In a food processor add goat cheese, sour cream, dill, green onions, and celery salt. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with more salt as needed.

Assemble the salad by spooning a large spoonful of the whipped goat cheese onto a plate, and spread it around into a circle. Arrange one cauliflower steak and a few florets on top of the goat cheese. Fill in the gaps with sliced radishes, celery, and a few slices of avocado on top. Garnish with dill fronds.