Saké Steak and Rice (Using Koshihikari)

This is the 3rd time I cook this. I love repeating this dish as it is one of our all-time favorites.

Beautiful flank steak, with Saké Wine, and a bowl of Koshihikari rice.... Heavenly!

This recipe is from Nigella Lawson's FEAST cookbook. I love her rich and motherly recipes. Her recipe never fail to impress me.

I did some modification on Nigella's recipe to suit to my own. And here's the modified one. Fret not! My modified version is equally good. I promise!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the Steak and Marinade

• 260g Flank Steak / Fillet Steak
• 1 tsp English Mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Garlic or Chilli Oil (Sesame Oil works too)
• Some Coriander (for garnishing)

For the Sauce

• 60ml Saké (日本酒 / Japanese liquor)
• ½ tsp Fish Sauce or Japanese Brown Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp English Mustard

For the Rice

• 200g Koshihikari Rice
• Water for cooking rice - Ratio 1 : 1

I got my flank steak from Cold Storage, 260 grams of steak cost me S$11.50. Saké cost me S$9.60 I think? I forgot the exact price. Cold Storage sells very nice steak. I always buy from there. Although they are slightly expensive, but they sell the freshest steak!

Note

1. You could find all the Steak, Marinade and the Sauce ingredients from Cold Storage. 
2. For Koshihikari rice, you could order from Momorice.
3. If you have problem getting Saké wine, you may consider to substitute with Sherry.
4. There's no reason not to use Wasabi paste for the English Mustard. Go ahead if you want. No restriction!
5. Nigella's recipe uses Basmati Rice, and cardamom pods are added in the rice. But, I personally prefer Koshihikari rice for this dish instead.

Now let's start cooking...

Method

1. In a plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients, and add the steak in. Tie it up tightly, give it a few press to allow the marinade coat evenly to the steak. Leave it there to marinade for at least 1 hour or keep it in the fridge for upto two days.

2. Let the steak come to room temperature (if you kept them in the fridge) before you start cooking. You could cook the rice in the rice cooker while waiting for the steak to cool down.

3. Heat up your skillet or ridged griddle. If you have cast iron skillet, best! Mine is cast iron for sure. And then give the steaks out of their marinade.

4. Make sure your skillet is really hot. Sear your steak 2 minutes a side or so. If your steak is thicker and if it is more than 300 grams, you may need to cook another half minute each side. So, you just have to eyeball it yourself.

5. Use potatoes masher to give it a gentle press. This could ensure the whole steak is being seared evenly. Don't worry about the charred part. Just let it be.

6. Remove the steak, double wrapping them in foil parcels. Let them rest for 10 minutes on a wooden board or a pile of newspaper. Do take note that the steak is hot. While the steak is resting, it continues to cook.

7. Bring the Saké to a boil in a small saucepan, to let the alcohol taste evaporate. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir well.

8. Unwrap the steak, removing them to a wooden board for carving as you do so, and pour the red juices gathered in the foil parcels into the pan of sauce. These are the goodness! Don't discard them.

9. Carve the steak into thin ribbon slices. Do make sure your knife is sharp enough to do the work.

10. Place the sliced steak on the plate, pour over some Saké sauce, garnish with coriander.

And serve with a bowl of really good Koshihikari rice :)

I seared the meat two minutes at each side. This makes my steak turned medium well. The steak is being sliced thinly across, and make it tender ribbons of meat. For such, it would be sad to overcooked them.

Like me, I can't wait, I just put all the sliced beef on top of my bowl of rice, drizzle the sauce over, let the rice absorb the sauce, and I'd just chomp in!

Mmmm... I love the tenderness of the juicy steak! The Umami Saké sauce goes very well with the rice!


What makes this such an easy meal for me is that, in the first instance, my rice cooker is my greatest help. I have no worries for the rice at all.

For the Koshihikari rice, you may read about my Koshihikari Rice posting here.

I hope you like it.

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