Cooking The Perfect Steak – Part Seven
Number 66 at my parents’ restaurant was a dish called Steak Kue. Open ordering, a ribeye was quickly seared on an old, flat, blackened grill. The steak was quickly cut into pieces and stir fried with celery, bok choy, mushrooms and onions. Thickened with a cornstarch slurry, the natural gravy was set apart by “a touch of oyster sauce.” The heavenly marriage of oyster sauce and beef was the inspiration for this Perfect Steak recipe.
As usual, simplicity was key with this steak. A hard, hot sear sealed in any juices in this thick New York Strip, and the initial seasoning was light. Simple salt, black pepper and a light dusting of white pepper was all it needed. Because of the high heat, I used purified sesame oil (not the aromatic kind) to cook. After cooking the steak for about 3 minutes per side, I removed the steak and tented with foil. I then added a coarsely chopped onion and three cloves of garlic. About a pound of trimmed and rinsed Chinese long beans followed. Once the beans were coated well with the oil, I added a healthy dose (about 1/4 cup) of oyster sauce. The sauce sizzled, popped, and quickly browned and wilted the skin of the beans. Once fork-tender, I removed the beans to a platter. I checked on my steak. Now rested, the steak was ready to be eaten. I quickly moved the steak to the platter and drizzled more oyster sauce on the steak and beans. The earthy sweetness of oyster sauce was perfect with the well-browned beef. The crunch of the beans, peppered with pops of onion and garlic, added the perfect accent to the warm, juicy steak.
Bite by bite, I devoured this meal, all the time remembering the delicious flavors of Steak Kue!
