Steak with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Here is a pretty quick recipe for a nice steak dinner.  I used strip steaks, mostly because that's what I had on hand.  Feel free to use another cut if you prefer.  

I like my steak medium-moo.

If the weather outside is not 43F and rainy, go ahead and fire up the grill.  That would be my preferred way of charring these beauties anyway.

To be fancy-schmancy, I packed rice into a small bowl, unmolded it then dusted with black sesame seeds.  You can also use regular sesame seeds, but I like the color contrast.   Remember, you also taste with your eyes.

Speaking of eyes, see those beans?  They are green soybeans, aka edamame (eh-dah-MAH-may), a Japanese veggie treat.  They have a mild not-even-close-to-a-soybeany taste. Edamame is so simple-easy to make you don't even need a recipe:  eyeball a small handful of frozen edamame pods per person and drop into a saucepan of boiling water; cover and turn off heat.  Then ignore for about10 minutes while you busy yourself elsewhere.   Drain pods and serve hot, sprinkled with coarse or kosher salt (I took the photo before adding the salt).  To eat, simply grab one end of a pod, then place other the end in your mouth.  Close your teeth and slowly draw out the pod.  The soybeans *pop* into your mouth.  So much fun to play with your food!


Steaks with Spicy Cilantro Sauce
Yield:  4 servings

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl. soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. chopped garlic (bottled okay), divided
3 tsp.  sesame oil, divided
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbl. vegetable oil
4 strip steaks
1/4 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (if some stems get mixed in it's okay)
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

Crushed red pepper ... for steak that bites you back.

In a small bowl or cup add 1/4 cup soy sauce, sherry, sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and crushed red pepper; mix until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside for a moment.

Preheat broiler.  Grease broiler pan with vegetable oil.  Place steaks in a single layer on broiler pan.  Brush with half the soy sauce mixture.  Broil for about 5 minutes or until steaks char to your liking.  Flip steaks, brush with remaining soy sauce mixture and continue to broil about 4-6 minutes for medium-rare.

I cheated and used frozen cilantro; messy but still tasty.

When steaks are done, remove from broiler, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another small bowl or cup, mix together remaining soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil along with cilantro and lime juice.

Plate steaks.  Divide cilantro sauce evenly over steaks.  Serve with your favorite veggies.

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