We Asked A Professional Chef To Turn Hot Cheetos Into A Fancy Meal

    Spoiler: Flamin' Cheetos can be classy af.

    Alex Alvarez
    by Alex Alvarez

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Header image by Maritsa Patrinos / BuzzFeed / Via Photos by Macey Foronda / BuzzFeed

    Flamin' Hot Cheetos are, quite obviously, the perfect food.

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    (True thing: I eat them every. single. day.)

    But we wondered whether it'd be possible to make Flamin' Hot Cheetos seem a bit more... adult.

    Katy Perry VEVO
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    You know, fancy. Elegant. Socially appropriate.

    One brave chef rose to the challenge...

    Chef Troy Guard!

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    His Denver restaurant, TAG, is known for combining an array of influences and foods you might not expect to go together, like flash-seared hamachi sushi with POP ROCKS. He was the perfect fit for this challenge!

    Behold his creation: A Flamin' Hot Cheetos and steak salad with pickled rhubarb dressing.

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    Who knew that Cheetos and rhubarb could be such good friends?

    And the good news is that you can make it at home!

    Here's what you'll need:

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    For the steak, you'll need a 12 oz. striploin or sirloin, with a little fat cap left on, steak seasoning (Troy brought his own, but you can use whatever you like!), and olive oil.

    For the salad, you'll need baby mixed greens, kale (we used purple kale!), cherry tomatoes, scallions, more olive oil, and FLAMIN' HOT CHEETOS!

    For the dressing, you'll need that olive oil again, plus white balsamic, a shallot, lime juice (use fresh juice, if you can! We used bottled because such is life.), Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper, and pickled rhubarb! (We totally realize pickled rhubarb is probably hard to find! If you're unable to locate any or make your own, you can go with pickled red onions.)

    1. Rub your steak with oil and seasoning.

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    Chef Troy used his own special blend of seasonings, but you can use whatever combination makes your little heart sing.

    2. Next, sear that beautiful steak!

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    If you have a charcoal or wood grill handy, Chef Troy suggests going with one of those for the very best flavor.

    3. Cook your steak to medium rare, or until it reaches 130-135 degree internal temperature.

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    4. Make sure to save all the goodness from your pan!

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    5. When the meat is done cooking, let it rest 5 minutes, then slice.

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    6. Shred, chop, dice, and slice all your lovely veggies accordingly.

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    7. Combine all your dressing ingredients.

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    The pickled rhubarb works so well here because it plays very well off the spicy tanginess of the Cheetos. So, even if you don't find or make pickled rhubarb, make sure you have some sort of bright, vinegary goodness in there. Trust us. It makes the whole salad.

    8. Toss your salad in the rhubarb dressing, making sure to add all the leftover goodness you have from your steak pan.

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    9. Assemble your steak, dressed greens, and tomatoes onto a plate, then top with more pickled rhubarb for garnish.

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    Pretty!

    10. Then: ADD FLAMIN' HOT CHEETOS!

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    And I'm not saying you have to eat your Cheetos steak salad with the beach as your backdrop, but it definitely doesn't hurt.

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    Thanks to The Strand House on Manhattan Beach for letting us use their kitchen and restaurant.

    Spicy Cheeto and Steak Salad with Rhubarb Dressing

    Recipe by Chef Troy Guard

    Serves 4

    INGREDIENTS

    4 oz. baby mixed greens

    4 oz. kale, shredded

    16 pc cherry tomatoes, cut in half

    3 T chopped cilantro

    3 scallions

    ½ c Flamin' Hot Cheetos

    1 T olive oil

    For the steak:

    12 oz. sirloin, little fat cap left on

    3 T steak seasoning

    3 T olive oil (any type of salad oil will suffice)

    For the dressing:

    ¼ c white balsamic

    ¼ c olive oil (or any type of salad oil)

    ½ t shallot, mince

    3 T lime juice

    1 T Dijon mustard

    3 T pickled rhubarb, diced

    Pinch salt and pepper

    PREPARATION

    1. Rub steak with oil and seasoning.

    2.Grill on charcoal or wood grill for best flavor. Cook to medium rare, or until meat reaches 130-135 degree internal temperature.

    3.Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.

    4. Combine all dressing ingredients, shake or whisk together.

    5. Toss salad with dressing, portion onto 4 plates.

    6. Garnish with Cheetos!