Japanese Triple Seared Steak
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One of the best things about cooking is trying out new techniques. I heard about Japanese Triple-Seared Steak and just had to try it.
Why Triple Searing?
Well, you know that crust for which every barbecue guru craves? This method gives you a delectable steak taste and crispiness all in one bite. Plus, the process is pretty straightforward. Additionally, triple-searing layers the flavors in your meat, giving it depth.
Personalize It
Definitely get creative with this dish. You can swap out the whisky for sake, plum wine, bourbon, aged brandy, cognac, or rum. The liquid cools the steak, controlling how fast it cooks. It’s hard to overcook a steak using this recipe.
There are also choices when it comes to soy sauce. Besides common soy (Uchi Shoyu), there’s light soy (Usukuchi Shoyu), which preserves natural flavors and colors and refermented soy sauce with a sweet note.
Choose your Meat
When you use the triple-seared method, look for steaks that are about 1” thick and nicely marbled. If the meat is thin, like Skirt Steak, it will cook too quickly and undermine the tenderness you crave.
You can really use any cut you’d like, recognizing that the cheaper cuts won’t be quite as tender. Ribeye, New York Strip, and Flat Iron Steak are all good choices. Increase the time estimates for larger steaks. Here, I am going all-out with Wagyu.
Ingredients
- 1 Steak (A5 Wagyu Flap Meat)
- 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt **
- 1/4 c. soy sauce
- 1/4 c. Whisky
** You can try Cuso’s Gravel Seasoning with the salt, but it’s not necessary for the process.
Instructions
- Set up a dipping station with two bowls, one for whisky and one for soy.
- Cover the steak liberally with coarse salt. This supports the creation of the initial crust.
- Sear both sides of the steak.
- Remove it once it reaches 90F
- Give the steak a quick bath in the whisky for one minute (this removes a lot of salt).
- Sear the steak again, pulling it off when the internal temperature reaches 115F.
- Now it’s time for the soy sauce. Put the steak right from the grill into the soy for one minute.
- Sear the third time, removing it when it reaches 130F for medium rare. You do not want to cook much further with Wagyu.
PitMaster’s Memo: Triple-sear Chicken?
You can use an idea similar to nuance chicken in a whole new way. Place skin-on chicken breasts or thighs over the coals, searing the skin side first. Allow the meat to rest for one minute, giving it a dip in whisky. Sear the other side and dip the chicken into the soy. Finally, finish the chicken on the grill so the skin remains crispy.
ear in mind that, generally, chicken requires less searing time.
Sides
Broccoli in sesame sauce
Cucumber salad with sprouts and green onion in chili oil & rice vinegar
Kabocha squash
Mirin marinated eggs
Teriyaki tofu
Beverages
Matcha tea latte
Plum wine
Saki
Sapporo or Kirin Beer
Yuzu cocktail
