Hawaiian-style steak: A flavor boost for ‘the poor man’s rib eye’
To really understand Hawaii, it’s necessary to know its food, and “I like to think of shoyu and sugar as the mother sauce of local cuisine,” said chef Sheldon Simeon in Cook Real Hawai’i (Clarkson Potter). Sugarcane, of course, was long Hawaii’s economic lifeblood, while shoyu—Japanese for soy sauce—is simply the seasoning we use more than any other. So of course it occurred to me one day that it’d be great to season a grilled steak with shoyu sugar.
Because neither marinating nor straightforward basting worked well, I came up with a take on Japanese tare, a basting sauce thickened with pulverized brown rice. The rice “adds a pleasant nuttiness.” But more important, it helps the shoyu sugar cling to the steak and produces “a gorgeous caramelized crust.” Any steak at least ¾-inch thick will work here, but my favorite cut to use is boneless chuck roast, aka “the poor man’s rib eye.”
Recipe of the week
Shoyu sugar steak
3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut in steaks about 1 inch thick
Garlic salt
½ cup raw brown rice or barley
1 cup mirin
½ cup sake
1 cup shoyu (soy sauce) ½ cup loosely packed light brown sugar 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled 6 scallions, cut into thirds and crushed 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced and crushed Oil, for the grill
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle steaks generously with garlic salt. Place on a plate and let stand for 40 minutes at room temperature.
Place rice in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground. In a dry saucepan, toast rice powder over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until caramel-colored and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add mirin and sake, and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits from bottom of pan. Once boiling, add shoyu, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, scallions, and ginger and simmer very gently until mixture is thickened and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the aromatics.
Prepare a grill for high indirect heat. Using tongs, oil heated grates with an oil-soaked rag or paper towels. Sprinkle steaks generously with pepper and place on grates on the indirect-heat side. Cover grill and cook steaks 20 to 25 minutes, flipping and checking internal temperature every 5 minutes or so, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 105.
Move steaks over direct heat, brush liberally with sauce, and grill, flipping every 30 seconds to 1 minute, brushing each time with more sauce, until a nice charred glaze has developed and the meat’s internal temperature registers 125 (for medium-rare). Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes. Carve into thick slices and serve with remaining sauce. Serves 6 to 8.