What's for Dinner? Grilled Pitas with Steak and Vegetables and Cayenne-Lime Yogurt Sauce

By Caitlin Klein in Food on May 23, 2011 6:00PM

It's getting hot out there, and that means it's time to start cooking outside again. And no, we don't mean hotdogs over a garbage can fire, despite how fun that sounds. We mean grilling! You can do this on a George Foreman too, but wouldn't it be nicer to stand outside in the warm Chicago sunlight, beer in hand, filling your neighborhood with the smell of warm, soft bread and seared cow meat? Your neighbors will love you.

For dinner this week, try our grilled steak and veggie pitas. The yogurt sauce does double duty as a chip dip or dipping sauce, too.

Chicagoist's Grilled Pitas with Steak and Vegetables and Cayenne-Lime Yogurt Sauce (Serves 4)

1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1 cup steak marinade of your choice (we used a commercial habanero sauce)
1 lime
1 teaspoon salt
1 Vidalia onion
2 bell peppers
2 jalapenos
1 yellow squash
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup Arugula leaves
4 pitas
Olive oil

Yogurt sauce:
1 6-ounce container of plain yogurt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 lime

Six to eight hours before grilling, marinade the steak. Season it with salt and cover it with 1 cup of marinade. Zest the lime over the meat and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Just before grilling, slice the vegetables and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Grill the vegetables until soft, turning once. They will have different cook times, so watch them carefully; the onions will take the longest.

Grill the steak, turning once. Cooking time will depend on how thick your meat is (too easy) and your desired level of doneness.

Once the steak and vegetables are grilled, dice them or slice them into strips that you can easily pile onto your pita.

Brush the pitas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, turning once, about 3 minutes on each side. You want your pitas to have grill marks and be soft.

To make the yogurt sauce, stir together the yogurt, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Zest the lime into the mixture and squeeze in the juice of the lime. Stir.

To make pitas, pile steak and veggies on top of the pita (or inside, if you're into that). Top with arugula or other greens and drizzle yogurt sauce over the top.