Seared marinated Wagyu steak

There is an art to flat iron cooking, which involves cooking on griddles, skillets, planchas, teppans or simply on large flat surfaces. There is a distinct science behind it all, which begins with the Mallard reaction.

Flat-iron cooking is one of the oldest cooking techniques. In my mind, I always associate it with the old Clint Eastwood movies over a roaring fire in the desert. But I now realise that this is serious business. There are several distinct advantages to this technique: a large, evenly heated, and extremely hot flat surface. The heat is consistent, the browning over a large surface and in full contact with the food. Most typically, it is used for quickly searing meats and seafood, as well as vegetables. Other typical dishes include pancakes, breads, particularly naan and other oven-baked breads, as well as the famous thin, crisp Indian dosa and other crepes.

The second technique I will discuss is tenting, a technique often overlooked for meats. For quick grilled meats, tenting is essential. The surface is hot, seared, and crisped, but the centre is still cold and red. Tenting gives the heat time to get to the centre and turn the ring of red to a pink, still rare but warmed through for a perfect steak.

This steak is perfect! The marinade is bold, with a hint of chilli, a pop of mild sweetness, and the umami and salt accentuated after the hot sear. The soy glutamates pair beautifully with the fats from the Wagyu beef. The marination also tenderises the meat, so it was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and makes you go back for another piece even after you have overeaten.

The more I cook from this book, the harder it becomes for me to put it back on the shelf. This will be one of those cookbooks that I will cook more than 1/2 the recipes from. This is also a cookbook for those who enjoy spending time in the kitchen. The recipes are complex, but the dishes definitely up the dining experience for both yourself and your guests. I recommend this cookbook for chefs who want to elevate their culinary skills. Naomi now runs the Ripe Cooperative in Portland, and I cannot stop drooling over her exquisitely designed food on Instagram. It may be worth visiting Portland to savour a lovely Willamette Valley pinot and enjoy a meal at her restaurant.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the marinade: Juice of 1 lemon or lime

Spent lemon skin

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Salt, to taste

3 large wagyu steaks, about 4 oz. each

Juice the lemon/lime and add the spent flesh to the bowl. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Taste, the marinade should be a touch spicy, a pop of mild sweetness and the salt should be bold.

Add the steaks to a Pyrex dish and pour the marinade over, taking care to rub the marinade into the meat on all sides. Store in he fridge overnight. It is best to rotate the meat every 3-4 hours to allow the marinade to fully penetrate the meat.

Heat a flat-iron skillet or frying pan on high heat. Add the steaks in a single layer and sear on high for 2 minutes. Flip the meat over and sear for another 2 minutes. Drizzle any remaining marinade over the meat and heat up, allowing the marinade to cook down and thicken.

Remove the meat from the pan, keep the juices. Tent the meat for 1 minute, then slice it on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with the thickened sauce drizzled on top.