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OFYR Beef Tataki|Weston Table

Small Plates

OFYR Beef Tataki

This ranch-to-table, truly east meets west recipe, is easy Japanese cooking that takes under twenty minutes to prepare and only two minutes to cook. It may change the way you think about grilling forever. This tataki preparation, a 17th century samurai high heat cooking technique perfect for OFYR grilling, is a healthy, main or beginning course (rich in umami flavors and beefy taste) that delivers sensational mouth feel and satiates the American appetite for beef. 

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cuisine Japanese
difficulty Easy
season Year Round
serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sake
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce
  • Grape seed oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced horizontally
  • 1 pound beef tenderloin, sliced into
  • 1/4" wide pieces
  • 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced into 2.5
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives
  • 2 cups watercress microgreens (or baby arugula)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon hot sesame oil
  • Edible flowers, optional garnish

Directions

  1. Prepare the OFYR grill.
  2. Add the sliced shallot and scallions to a cup of ice water. Just before using, pour off the water and gently pat dry.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine the sake and the sugar. Place on the ring of the OFYR and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the soy sauce.
  4. Add the sesame seeds to one mini cast iron gratin and the garlic and one tablespoon oil to another small cast iron gratin. Place on the OFYR ring. Toast the sesame seeds until they just begin to turn color, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Continue cooking the garlic, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown. Remove from heat and reserve.
  6. Oil  the hottest part of the OFYR grill ring and place the steak over this area. Cook on one side only until the steak develops a rich dark color. Remove from the grill to a plate and put in the freezer (uncooked surface facing up) for 20 minutes to prevent the meat from cooking any further.
  7. Arrange the beef on a platter, drizzle with the soy sauce mixture (pass the remaining soy sauce mixture at the table). Sprinkle the sesame seeds and the garlic over the beef. 
  8. Pile the greens over the steak and top those greens with the sliced shallots and scallions.
  9. Drizzle a small amount of the hot sesame oil over the beef. Serve at room temperature.

Kitchen Notes

Tenderloin, or any lean cut, or a super marbled piece of Wagyu works in this recipe. While most tataki is served medium rare, you can grill  some of the beef to suit the tastes of those who prefer their meat a bet more cooked in just seconds. Japanese soy sauce is made with a mix of soy and wheat (usually 50/50) and the result is a sweeter and less salty, more nuanced flavor than the traditional Chinese 100% soy-based sauce sauce. Any peppery greens, baby arugula or regular watercress, pair well and balance the slightly sweet soy sauce mixture. The toasted garlic keeps for 3 days--make extra and toss on roasted vegetables, salads, or fried eggs. The petals of geranium, zinnia, marigold, and nasturtium are all edible and add an appealing visual to the finished plate. 
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