Hibachi at Home
Steak and Vegetables a la the Japanese Steakhouse
Even if without a hibachi grill in your home, it is still possible to enjoy Japanese steakhouse-quality stir fry without having to leave the house. With a little ingenuity, what is in the cupboard – pots, pans and cookie sheets – should work just fine. Prep time is typically 15-20 minutes. Cook time for the vegetables runs about 15 minutes, but only about 5 minutes for the meat. Serves two.
Japanese Steak Stir Fry
- ½ lbs steak
- 2 medium zucchini
- 3 carrots
- ½ white onion
- 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- Soy sauce
- Sesame seeds
- 2 large, shallow pans or one large cookie sheet
Basic Preparation
- Cut everything into bite-sized chunks.
- Heat oil in one pan at medium heat.
- Simmer vegetables while heating the meat pan to medium.
- Add soy sauce and butter to vegetables.
- Sear the steak.
- Add soy and sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Sear It; Don't Stew It
The secret to good hibachi or flash-seared food is heat and space. It is very easy to end up with stewed meat and vegetables if they are allowed to cook too slowly or in too much liquid. Turn the heat under both pans to medium flame and add oil to vegetable pan or designated end of the cookie sheet, stretched over two burners.
Slice the vegetables thin – say 1/2 inch – so that they cook through more quickly. The last thing anyone wants is under-cooked zucchini. Add the vegetables to the oil. Stir for a good coating and then put a tbsp of butter on top and a splash or two of soy sauce. Stir them around about once a minute.
Keep the Pan Hot
Slice the meat as thin as you care to – the thinner, the better. Now, rather than dumping it all in at once, throw one piece of meat onto the pan and cook it first. See how it reacts, then try the rest. If you have ever been to a Japanese steakhouse, you have seen how this works: no butter, no soy sauce, just meat on hot metal. The chef cooks the meat almost completely before even adding the soy sauce as seasoning.
It will not take long to cook, especially if you take your steak medium rare. After watching that first piece of meat cook, determine about how long it should take to cook the rest to your liking. Add the soy sauce with about 30 seconds left to go. Add it much sooner and you risk stewing.
The vegetables could use another splash of soy sauce at this point. Test a piece of zucchini and carrot then add the last pat of butter if necessary. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and the garlic salt, mix, and let sit for just a little bit longer. The meat should be finishing up and very near ready to serve. When the meat is seared and vegetables ready, serve together over fried rice.
Benihana.com - with whom Adam Steed is in no way affiliated, other than as a fan
"Fillet Steak Stir-Fry" by Tami Struwig
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