No grill required. Pan-Seared Steak with Sake Sauce utilizes two of the most basic kitchen tools to create a special celebratory dinner at home – a taste of teppanyaki in your own kitchen, a little jewel.
June, tis’ the season to celebrate – graduations, weddings and holidays abound. A celebration dinner is in order, and sometimes it just has to be steak. One of our favorite family celebratory locations has always been a teppanyaki-style restaurant, the original classic of course is Benihana.
Teppan means “steel grill” or “griddle” and yaki meaning “grilled” or “broiled” and the restaurant dates back to 1964 when the first Benihana opened in NYC. After catching on in popularity, there are scores of teppanyaki style restaurants all across the country.
Family photos reveal memories of great revelry while seated around the large grill tables. Children squealing with joy as flames leap from ‘volcano’ onions, shrimp being catapulted onto plates, and a show of fancy knife skills and jokes– all part of the theatre the chefs provide. Oh, and of course those tall cool drinks for the grown-ups. So, with a nod to grace and economy, I fashioned a simple way to celebrate at home, with a taste of teppanyaki cooking.
Pan Seared Steak with Sake requires two of the most basic of cooking tools. The first is a heavy, old-fashioned cast iron skillet, a Bijouxs Kitchen Basics. The technique is simple. Heating a dry cast iron skillet slowly to a high heat, then add lightly oiled steaks and sear, on all sides, to create a rich brown crust. Then for those who desire their steak medium or beyond, or for thicker cuts of meat, the skillet is placed in a hot oven for a short cooking finish.
Next up is the sake sauce, created in a basic saucepan while the steaks sear. Sake wine is reduced to remove most of the alcohol, then fortified with teppan-inspired flavors such as soy, Worcestershire and fish sauce, with a bite from of dry mustard – your sauce is ready.
To serve this celebratory feast, I plated the steaks with a bit of sauce, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, with a mound of crisp daikon sprouts (an updated take on traditional grilled bean sprouts.) Add bowls of steamed white rice and sautéed mushrooms to accompany, of course with plenty of tall cool drinks of your choice.
Celebrate at the best table in the house, right in your home – Pan Seared Steak with Sake Sauce. Cheers!
As always, enjoy. B
Pan-Seared is my favorite steak method for home cooks! GREG
Happy Summer Greg! We always seem to be on the same cooking page.
Looks simple but so gorgeous. Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest right!
So true Mille! The little jewels collection is all about capturing & sharing the everyday beauty all around us, right here in our kitchens. Thank you!