Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

July 4th. The cookout. Fourteen people. Eduardo grilled. I managed the kitchen. Mami came. Rosa drove up. Sofía took the day off. David was in Brooklyn; he called during his prep shift at 11 AM. Ana drove up from Bridgeport at noon.

Pinchos de pollo. Pinchos de cerdo. Chicken and pork skewers, both marinated in my own sofrito-plus-sour-orange marinade, grilled over charcoal by Eduardo who will not give up his coals for propane despite my suggesting it every summer. The pinchos this year were the best pinchos we have done in a decade. I know because I had time this year. Retirement means I marinated for forty-eight hours instead of twelve. I used the outdoor grill instead of the indoor broiler I fall back on when I am tired. I cooked them over real charcoal and not gas. The difference is real. The difference is time.

This is the dawning realization of retirement, week four: with time, the food gets better. I have been cooking for thirty-five years on a hospital kitchen's calendar, which is fast, which is scale, which is efficient, which is good. At home, in my own kitchen, I have cooked well but fast. Now I can cook slowly. The slow cooking is the older cooking. The slow cooking is what Abuela Consuelo did when she had all day. The slow cooking is how you make food that tastes like the island.

Mami ate two pinchos. She said, "These are right." Three words. High praise. She sat in a folding chair on the patio under an umbrella that Eduardo had put up against the sun, and she watched the grandchildren run through the sprinkler, and at one point Mateo — six months old, sitting up now, holding his own bottle — was on a blanket next to her feet and she reached down and held his foot for five minutes and did not let go. Not forcefully. Just her hand on his tiny ankle. A grandmother-and-great-grandson contact. A blessing via touch. She did not say anything during those five minutes. Her hand was enough.

Fireworks at 9 PM. Lucas did not want to watch them — he has decided, at five, that fireworks are "too loud for his brain" — and so he stayed inside with Eduardo and they watched from the living room window with the volume turned down and Lucas sat in Eduardo's lap and pointed at each flash and said "that was a pink one, Papi" and Eduardo said "yes, that was a pink one, mijo" and Lucas was satisfied. Isabella (three now) watched with me outside. Camila (twenty months, running) watched with her father Carlos. Mateo slept on a blanket under the stars.

I did not cry at the fireworks. I have cried at fireworks in retirement years before — the symbolism, the endings — and this year I did not. I was happy. I was tired. I was in my backyard with my people. I was retired. Wepa.

The pinchos were done, the coals were still glowing, and Eduardo — who will defend his charcoal setup until his last breath — was not about to let that heat go to waste. This is what retirement has given me: the margin to say “the grill is still on, let’s do one more thing.” These grilled cauliflower steaks went on after the skewers came off, soaking up every bit of that real charcoal smoke, and they fed the people who needed something lighter after two rounds of pork. Mami approved. That is the only review that matters.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the cauliflower. Stand the cauliflower upright on a cutting board and slice it from top to base into 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick “steaks.” You should get 3–4 solid center steaks; reserve any loose florets for another use or grill them alongside.
Make the seasoning oil. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using.
Season the steaks. Brush both sides of each cauliflower steak generously with the seasoning oil, making sure to coat the edges as well.
Heat the grill. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high direct heat, around 425°F. Clean and lightly oil the grates.
Grill the first side. Place cauliflower steaks directly over the heat. Grill uncovered for 8–10 minutes without moving, until deep grill marks form and the bottom edges begin to turn golden.
Flip and finish. Carefully flip each steak with a wide spatula. Grill for another 8–10 minutes until the second side is charred in spots and the thickest part of the steak is fork-tender.
Rest and serve. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks — Because the Grill Was Still Hot and the Day Was Still Ours