Meat lovers, this is the best 30 minutes you’ll spend in the kitchen.
We are living in unprecedented times and looks like it will be months away before we could hop aboard a plane for a vacation. I struggled initially with the idea of Circuit Breaker as the days drag on, but I have come to terms with it. This is a social responsibility for the good of all as we’re facing an invisible threat with no known cure.
At the same time, I think it’s important to acknowledge our privilege that we are safely sheltered at home.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by a sense of malaise in the Covid-19 era, but I tried my best to keep the spirit of travel alive at home. While a holiday trip to Tokyo is not possible yet, I was inspired to create my rendition of the famous beef steak rice bowl from Tokyo Redrock. After several attempts, I realised I do have a knack for cooking proper meals (I did not burn my house down) and I have had enough of Hai Chi Jia Suan La Fen. Perhaps those days of watching Gordon Ramsay roasting apprentice chefs in Hell’s Kitchen turns out to be useful.
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Steak Rice Bowl with Onsen Egg
Yield: 1 Serving
Time: 30 minutes
Meat lovers, this is the best 30 minutes you’ll spend in the kitchen! Whether you’re craving for a perfect mid-week lunch or dinner, this is relatively easy to make for yourself and your family.
Tip: Always let your steak rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before grilling it. Make sure the steak is not frozen when you’re about to season and grill it as this will affect the doneness level.
Important: Decide your doneness level first so you know exactly how long to grill each side of the steak. If you’re looking at Medium-rare it will be 2 minute on each side and additional 1 minute for one side as you brush it with garlic and butter, the entire time spent on cooking a medium-rare steak shouldn’t exceed 5 minutes, so you get a nicely seared steak that’s juicy and tender. If you like it medium, then 3 minutes on each side, the total time shouldn’t exceed 7 minutes. (I’m basing this on a one-inch (2.54cm) thick steak). If you like it thoroughly cooked, then it will take about 8 minutes over medium heat.
Preparation
The flavour of the dish comes from the steak and the homemade savoury sauce. The steps, in the sequence, are: mixing the sauce, blanching the vegetables, boiling the egg, and lastly grilling the steak and cooking the sauce.
Step 1: Mix soy sauce, mirin, sake, Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a mixing bowl, whisk until sugar is melted and set aside.
Step 2: Smash the garlic cloves and set aside, you will need it to cook the meat.
Step 3: Wash and chop the broccoli and shimeiji mushrooms, blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes and use a sieve to remove the vegetables quickly from the water so that none overcooks. Set aside the vegetables.
Step 4: Prepare a pot of water (about 500ml) and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove the pot from the stove. Add in 300ml of cold water (I’m using chilled tap water, just make sure the water is cooler than room temperature) and then placing the egg inside. Make sure the egg is fully submerged in the pot of water and set a timer for 17 minutes.
Step 5: Season the steak with freshly ground black pepper (add a pinch of salt if you like) then let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Important: Decide your doneness level first so you know exactly how long to grill each side of the steak. If you’re looking at Medium-rare it will be 2 minutes on each side and an additional 1 minute for one side as you brush it with garlic and butter, the entire time spent on cooking a medium-rare steak shouldn’t exceed 5 minutes, so you get a nicely seared steak that’s juicy and tender. If you like it medium, then 3 minutes on each side, the total time shouldn’t exceed 7 minutes. (I’m basing this on a one-inch (2.54cm) thick steak). If you like it thoroughly cooked, then it will take about 8 minutes over medium heat.
Step 6: Grab your non-stick pan or iron cast skillet and add a spoonful of olive oil. Swirl the oil to coat the pan and turn up to medium heat. The key here is to make sure the pan is hot!
Step 7: Add steak and cook according to your doneness level. Always use a cooking tong to handle the steak, the steak should sizzle once it sits on the pan so always remember to place the steak away from you to avoid the oil burn. If the pan begins to smoke or burn, lower the heat.
Step 8: Remember your smashed garlic cloves? Toss it into the pan and brush it against the steak.
Step 9: During the final minute, add in a tablespoon of butter. Tilt pan toward you so that butter pools on one side, and use a large spoon to continually baste the steak with butter. Continue until butter is no longer bubbling and it smells nutty and is beginning to brown.
Step 10: Turn off the heat, remove steak from the pan and place it on a wooden board to let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, pour over the sauce mixture to the still-hot pan. The sauce will immediately start boiling by the remaining heat from the pan.
Step 11: Bring liquid to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and garlic cloves are fully cooked about 2-3 minutes and remove the pan from heat.
Now, let’s assemble the dish!
First things first, get ready your warm cooked rice in a bowl then add a spoonful of sauce on it. Next, decorate the rice bowl with broccoli, shimeji mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Now, use chopsticks to place your sliced steak on top! And by now, the Onsen egg should be ready to serve!
Voila!
Optional: For the remaining sauce, you can use it to drizzle over your steak too. Enjoy!
