This Asian Steak pairs tender beef tenderloin with a glossy sauce of soy, mirin, sake, and brown butter — a simplified homage to Tetsuya's refined technique, ready in under 20 minutes.
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Take the steak out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to cooking (or 10 minutes if it's a stinking hot summer day).
Combine soy sauce, Mirin and sake in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until smoking. Add steak and cook to your liking. Mine were 150g/5oz each and 3cm/1.25" thick and I cooked it 3 minutes on the 1st side and 2 minutes on the second side for medium rare.
Transfer steak onto a plate and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes.
Let the skillet cool down a bit then return to the stove over medium high heat. Add Sauce and bring to simmer, then add butter. When the butter melts and is incorporated into the sauce, immediately remove it from the stove.
Stir through garlic, ginger and 2 tsp of shallots (reserve rest for garnish), the sauce should be slightly thickened (if not, keep stirring, thickens more as it cools).
Place steak on plates and spoon over sauce. I served the steaks with finely shredded cabbage without dressing (very typical Japanese side) and white rice, plus some edamame on the side.
Cooked steak and sauce are best eaten fresh but can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days; reheat sauce gently and serve steak at room temperature or warmed briefly in the pan.
Beef tenderloin (filet mignon) is ideal for its tenderness and buttery texture. Choose high-quality steaks around 150g/5oz each and cook to medium-rare for best results.
Mirin can be replaced with a mix of sugar and water (1:1 ratio). Sake is harder to replicate; white wine or vermouth works as a partial substitute but will change the flavor profile.
Use a meat thermometer: 50–55°C (120–130°F) for medium-rare. Alternatively, touch the steak — it should feel soft with slight resistance when pressed at the center.
Combine soy, mirin, and sake ahead of time, but add butter and aromatics just before serving to preserve the emulsion and fresh garlic flavor.
Frozen rice (as mentioned in the recipe notes) reheats quickly and pairs perfectly. Steamed bok choy or a simple green salad also complement the rich sauce well.
