Monday, August 29, 2011

Easy Teriyaki!

I'm so behind on recipes. I'm making some great ones this week: Honey Hoisen Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Pot Pie, Fried Steak Tacos (Matt's birthday meal for the last 3 years).... Hopefully I'll be able to get around to posting these yummy meals for you. This week actually feels really bizarre, it's almost as if it's an extra free week thrown into the calendar. I'm sure everyone has those groups that meet the 3rd Monday of every month, the 2nd Tuesday of every month, & the 2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month (to give a few examples from my life...) But NO group meets during the 5th week of the month! Not that I won't be busy with a variety of things, but it's nice to look at my evening schedule and realize I don't have to rush out the door anywhere & we'll be able to spend every night as a 4 person family. So, enjoy your "free" week :) I hope you all have to opportunity to sit down to dinner as a family this week & feel free to make this really quick & easy Steak Teriyaki recipe!

Gyuniku Teriyaki (Broiled sliced beef with sweet soy-seasoned glaze)

1.5 lbs lean boneless beef (usually buy a sirloin) cut in 12 slices 1/4 inch thick

Sauce:
1 C mirin (sweet sake) or 1 cup Pale dry Sherry (usually what I end up using)
1 C Soy Sauce
1 C Chicken broth

Glaze: (I usually double or triple this, Americans prefer saucier meat than the Japanese)
1/4  C of the Sauce
1 T sugar
2 teas. cornstarch mixed with 1 T cold water

Garnish:
4 teas. powdered mustard mixed with just enough hot water to make a thick paste and set aside for 15 minutes. (note: this is spicy! I love to dip my meat in it, but matt prefers the meat without)

Sauce:
Warm sherry in 2 qt sauce pan over medium heat. Off heat ignite sherry with lighter & shake pan back & forth until flame dies out. Stir in Soy Sauce and Chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Pour into a bowl & cool to room temp.
Glaze:
Combine 1/4 C of the sauce & 1 T sugar in saucepan. Bring almost to a boil over medium heat. reduce the heat to low. Stir in combined cornstarch and water into sauce. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens to a clear syrupy glaze. Pour into a dish and set aside
Meat:
Preheat broiler to highest point. Dip beef, one slice at a time into Sauce (not the glaze!). Broil 2 inches from the heat for 1 minute on each side, or until lightly brown. For well done meat broil an additional minute.
To Serve:
Slice the meat into 1 inch wide strips & place them on individual serving plates. Spoon a little of the glaze over each serving. (What I really love about Asian cooking is preparing each individual plate before taking it to the table. I know it's silly, but it's nice to take the time to make the plate look pretty with everything before everyone sees it!)

~The Cooking of Japan