The Absolute Best Sides To Pair With Your Caveman-Style Steak

If you're cooking your steak caveman-style (i.e., directly on top of the coals without the intervention of grill grates), you may be wondering what else to serve with your meaty meal. That's why Mashed reached out to Silvio Correa. A personal chef and catering director at Tropicali Brazilian Kitchen in Gardena, California, he specializes in both barbecue and Brazilian-style foods. Correa has a few ideas that go beyond the standard steakhouse sides of fries and baked potatoes for caveman steaks. One of his recommendations is to throw some vegetables on the grill, which you'll already have fired up. He suggests that onions, peppers, and zucchini all "add a fresh and healthy element to the meal."

Correa also emphasizes choosing flavors that complement the steak, like a green or tomato-onion salad with vinaigrette. The tangy dressing, he explains, "can cut through the richness of the meat." He goes on to add, "Sometimes, the best accompaniment is a simple one." In his opinion, a plain dish like rice would "[allow] ... the steak to shine."

In Silvio Correa's experience, the best type of steak for cooking caveman-style is picanha, aka top sirloin cap. It is a cut of meat often served at Brazilian steakhouses. His suggestions for sides follow a similar theme. Farofa, which you might find on the menu at a Brazilian steakhouse, is something Correa describes as toasted cassava frequently flavored with bacon, garlic, and onions. He says this dish "provides a delightful contrast in texture and flavor to the juicy picanha." Polenta, which is popular in Brazil as well as in Italy, has a creamy texture and mild flavor that, in Correa's words, "balances the richness of the meat and provides a satisfying base." He feels that black beans "offer a hearty and comforting accompaniment to the rich steak."

As for a caveman steak sauce, Correa's top pick is chimichurri. Even though the sauce is Argentinian in origin, it's also been embraced by neighboring Brazil. The chef describes this mixture of vinegar, herbs, and olive oil as "a vibrant and flavorful accompaniment to picanha" and one that will work just as well even if you choose another cut of meat for your caveman steak.