Grilled Bok Choy with Honey-soy Dressing
Serving both a grilled main and grilled side together can be a delicate balance—trying to get two things done in perfect harmony is tricky at best. So I'm always on the hunt for grilled accompaniments that can be cooked up super quick, say in the time it takes for a piece of steak, chicken, or pork to rest before serving. This grilled bok choy is designed to do just that, and besides being fast, it's also dead simple and really delicious with the equally easy honey-soy dressing.
If you haven't tried grilling leafy greens, your missing out. Not all greens are well suited for the grill, but heartier items like romaine, cabbage, and this bok choy get wonderfully crispy charred edges that add texture and flavor. To start out this dish, I picked up four heads of these small bok choys—thought the size would fill up the space on the plate nicely alongside the steaks they were to be served with.
Before heading to the grill, I also whipped up this honey-soy dressing, that keeping with the overall simplicity of the dish, only consisted of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and sherry. Although short on ingredients, each one of those is a powerhouse in its own right and combined to be a very full flavored dressing.
Before hitting the grill, I sliced each head of bok choy in half lengthwise and gave them a light brushing with sesame oil. I went with sesame specifically here to further enhance the Asian flavor with sesame oil's unique roasted, nutty flavor.
Then I placed the bok choy cut side down over direct heat and let them cook until they softened slightly and developed charring just around the edges of the leaves.
At which point I flipped them and cooked them on the other side for a little less time since I didn't want to soften the bok choy completely—a little natural crispy crunch was part of the desired end result.
After just a few minutes of cooking, all that was left was to remove them and spoon dressing on each piece of bok choy. Literally probably less than 10 minutes from start to finish, I had a great side dish that was completed while my steaks rested. And these did not want for flavor—the bok choy itself had both a great mixture of leafy crunch and a delicate charred crispness that brought along with it a little flavor of the grill. The dressing gave it a wonderful sweet and savory touch that let this stand up well next to the more hearty steak to make a great full meal that was completed together at just the right time.
