Ingredients Print

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 4

• 800 g (1.75 lb) beef (tenderloin, rump steak, sirloin or chuck tender)

For the marinade

• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
• 130 ml (½ cup + 2 tsp) soy sauce
• 25 ml (1 Tbsp + 2 tsp) sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp neutral oil (sunflower)
• 1 lime (or lemon), juiced
• 2 Tbsp dried lemongrass (or 1 fresh stalk, finely sliced)
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (a 2 cm / ¾-inch piece)
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar

For deglazing the pan

• 130 ml (½ cup + 2 tsp) mirin (from the Asian aisle)

To serve

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
• 3 scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced
• white and black sesame seeds

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

1. In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients: the soy sauce, sesame oil and neutral oil, the lime juice, the dried (or sliced) lemongrass, the grated ginger, the stems from the bunch of cilantro (they’re full of flavor) and the finely minced garlic. Set aside. (Don’t worry, the marinade gets strained later on, so you won’t end up with any bits.)

2. Cut the beef into thick pieces about 3 cm (1¼ inches) high. In a hot skillet (nonstick, preferably), quickly sear the meat on all sides (with a little oil if your pan isn’t nonstick), 1½ to 2 minutes per side.

3. Transfer the meat to a freezer bag set on a dish (in case your bag isn’t completely leakproof) and deglaze the pan juices with the mirin, scraping with a wooden spoon. Add to the marinade and pour over the meat. Seal the bag and let marinate for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

4. Shortly before serving, take the meat and the marinade out of the refrigerator. Strain the marinade through a chinois (a very fine sieve), essential so you don’t have bits in your sauce, and pour it into a bowl. Cut the meat into thin slices with a large, smooth-bladed knife. Arrange the meat on a serving platter. Quickly heat the marinade in a saucepan, then spoon it over the meat.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, the chopped cilantro and the scallions.

Serve with rice and/or a crunchy vegetable salad with a Thai or Vietnamese dressing; you can make my dipping sauce for egg rolls and spring rolls.

To learn everything about the meat cut numbers in Israel and how to use them, take a look at my guide to meat in Israel

Tips

• The great thing about tataki, which you can also make with fish in a salmon and tuna tataki, is that it’s ready ahead of time, perfect when you’re entertaining: all you have to do is reheat the sauce and slice it thinly.
• If you serve it as a starter, 100 g (3.5 oz) of meat per person is plenty.