United States, Camping · Campfire Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Garlic Chip Soy-Butter Saikoro Steak Rice Bowl (Japanese × American)

Name: Garlic Chip Soy-Butter Saikoro Steak Rice Bowl (Japanese × American)
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: Sirloin steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes 300 g; Salt ½ tsp; Black pepper ¼ tsp; Cooked short-grain rice (precooked pouches work) 300 g; Garlic cloves, sliced 2 mm thick 3; Vegetable oil 2 tbsp; Butter 20 g; Soy sauce 2 tbsp; Mirin 2 tbsp; Scallions, thinly sliced 1; Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice, optional) to taste

Camp steak bites go Japanese saikoro style: beef seared in crispy garlic-chip oil, tossed in a soy, mirin and butter glaze and piled over rice.

ServingsServes 2

Total cooking time20 min

DifficultyMedium

About servingsKeep raw meat in the cooler at 4 °C or below, and use separate boards and tongs for raw and cooked food. Never use a camp stove inside a tent.

Method

Set the camp stove on level ground away from the tent and put up a windscreen. Pat the steak from the cooler dry with paper towels, cut it into 2.5 cm cubes on a raw-meat board and season with the salt and pepper. Slice the garlic evenly 2 mm thick and thinly slice the scallions. Wash your hands right after handling raw meat.
Add in this stepSirloin steak, cut into 2.5 cm cubes 300 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper ¼ tsp
Bring a pot of water to a boil, drop in the rice pouches and heat over high heat for , then turn off the heat and keep covered. If you brought rice cooked at home, warm it through at this stage.
Add in this stepCooked short-grain rice (precooked pouches work) 300 g
high heat
Put the oil and garlic together in a cold 25 cm cast-iron skillet, set it over medium-low heat and fry for , stirring often. As soon as the garlic is pale golden, lift it onto paper towels. It keeps darkening from leftover heat, so take it out before it browns or it turns bitter.
Add in this stepGarlic cloves, sliced 2 mm thick 3Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
medium-low heat
Turn the skillet with the garlic-scented oil up to high heat; when it smokes lightly, add the steak in a single layer. Leave it untouched for the first minute, then turn and cook for in total. If the pan is crowded, cook in two batches. You want a deep brown outside and a hint of pink inside.
high heat
Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the butter, soy sauce and mirin and toss quickly for . Turn off the heat once the sauce bubbles, reduces slightly and coats the steak in a glossy glaze.
Add in this stepButter 20 gSoy sauce 2 tbspMirin 2 tbsp
medium heat
Spoon the rice into bowls and pile the steak and sauce on top. Scatter with the garlic chips and scallions, and add shichimi if you like.
Add in this stepScallions, thinly sliced 1Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice, optional) to taste

Cook's tip

Uneven garlic slices mean the thin ones burn first, so slice them all the same thickness. The soy glaze reduces and burns fast, so lower the heat as soon as it goes in and toss quickly. A little wasabi on the side is great too.

Cooking it at camp

At home, make it exactly the same way in a cast-iron or heavy frying pan on the stove, with freshly cooked rice. Turn on the range hood for the smoke. Saikoro steak is an everyday Japanese home dish, so it suits the home kitchen perfectly.