Making time in the kitchen is an almost impossible task. In most cases there are no shortcuts to great and authentic food. In some places out there, there might be thirty minute meals, but I have not seen many that I would want to eat. There of course are exceptions like Pasta with butter and good Parmesan that is perfectly cooked and tossed with an emulsified sauce of water, butter and the Parmesan. The truth however is that most good things take time.
This topic seems appropriate since I have made only one entry in my chef’s blog since I started it so long ago. I always bite off more work than time actually allows for, but I think that all chefs like to be a little under pressure. In my opinion this makes life feel exciting and interesting. All this being said, I have gotten a few great comments on my one lonely blog entry lately and I just wanted to get something out to everyone.
I was very busy in the kitchen the other night and there were a few tables requesting tasting menus. Tastings are my favorite way of cooking for people because I get to surprise the guest and serve them something that they might not usually eat. Spring was in the air and I wanted my guests to have something light, fresh and clean. Since I had just acquired a few new Japanese carbon steel knives, which are amazing for slicing, I thought working in Beef Tataki would be perfect.
Takaki is a Japanese manner of preparing fish or meat (“pounded” or “hit into pieces”) which is also called Tosa-mi. Meat or fish is sliced and either served raw or briefly seared. The method is said to have been developed in Tosa Province, now part of Kochi Prefecture in Japan by a 19th Century rebel Samurai named Sakamoto Ryoma. The quick grilled style of the dish may have come from the influence of Europeans living in Nagasaki at the time.
Sakamoto Ryoma
Dish:
Sliced Beef Tataki, Lemon Slices, Avocado and Soy, Black Rice Vinegar Sauce.
This dish is so simple, clean, and good. The recipe should serve as an appetizer for four people.
Ingredients:
1 14 oz. Sirloin steak
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 Avocado
1 Lemon
¼ Cup of Soy
¼ Cup Black Rice Vinegar
Method
-Trim away fat from sirloin steak
- Slice thin slices across the steak and pound out under plastic wrap.
- Slice avocado in thin slices after removing flesh from the peel and taking out the pit.
- Slice lemon very, very thin. As thin as possible across the whole diameter of the lemon (remove seeds), after
- Mix soy, black rice vinegar and sesame oil
- Arrange slices of lemon, beef and avocado on a plate. Each bite should have lemon beef and avocado in it
- Coat the tataki with the soy rice vinegar sauce and eat.
The great thing about this dish is that the soy based sauce is on an equal footing with the fresh lemon, avocado, and beef. The way that the lemon explodes on your tongue and blends with everything else is just great. Please try this out at home, or if you would like give us a heads up that you are coming in, we can prepare it for you at the restaurant. Hope you like it either way.
Thank you for reading and please remember to eat well at local, independent restaurants.
