Place a platter of these appetizers on the cocktail table and I'll bet they disappear before bets can be taken on how long it will take them to disappear. Put a platter of them on the dinner table alongside a fresh vegetable stir-fry and some steamed white rice, and, when served as a family-friendly dinner, they won't last any longer. A bottle of teriyaki sauce has been a staple condiment in my pantry for as long as I've had a pantry, standing right next to the elites: Heinz ketchup, French's mustard, Hellman's mayonnaise and Lee & Perrin's worcestershire sauce. That said, teriyaki sauce is seriously simple to make, and, it can be customized to suit your taste.
Served as a tailgate appetizer or a family-friendly dinner...
... it's impossible to make too many teriyaki skewers.
Teriyaki (tehr-uh-yah-kee): Teriyaki is a Japanese term referring to a method of cooking beef, chicken or seafood that has been marinated (in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic and/or ginger) prior to being grilled, broiled or stir-fried. "Teri" is the Japanese word for "luster", and it is the sugar in the marinade that gives the food its "teri" or shiny glaze. It's interesting to note that in Japan, there is no official teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki sauce was invented by the early Japanese settlers to the islands of Hawaii. They created:
A slightly-sweet nicely-thickened marinade/basting sauce using local, readily-available, easy-to-acquire Hawaiian products. For example: pineapple juice (in place of the mirin or sake of their homeland) and wild garlic (in conjuction with ginger they brought with them), mixed with soy sauce and thickened with cornstarch. The subject at hand (beef, chicken or seafood) is marinated for a minimum of 30 minutes, longer for a more pronounced flavor, then cooled. Because teriyaki sauce is sweet, a portion of the marinade is typically reserved to use as a dipping sauce when the dish is served.
Cook on an outdoor grill, grill pan, or, under a broiler...
... my foolproof preference is a grill pan on the stovetop.
For the teriyaki sauce:
1 cup tamari soy sauce or soy sauce
1 cup mirin (a cooking wine made from rice) or sake (sometimes thought of as beer because it's made from grain, but classified as a wine)
1/2 cup white or brown sugar or honey
2 tablespoons each: garlic and ginger garlic paste
8 teaspoons cornstarch or potato starch
8 teaspoons cold water
~ Step 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until smooth.
~ Step 2. In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together the tamari or soy sauce, mirin or sake, and, white or brown sugar or honey. Add the garlic and ginger. Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat and cook about 1 minute. Whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is drizzly but slightly-thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and use as directed in recipe.
To use as a marinade: Cool teriyaki sauce to room temperature, or chill, prior to using as a marinade. Keep any unused marinade, the stuff not used as a marinade for raw protein, stored in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Any marinade used as a marinade must be reheated and simmered for 3-5 minutes prior to refrigerating and reusing.
For the flank steak skewers:
3 total cups teriyaki sauce, from above recipe, 3 cups for marinating steak, and, to be reheated to use as dipping sauce
2 pounds flank steak, sliced across grain into 1/4"-thick strips
30-36 8" wooden skewers
lightly-toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
scallion tops, for garnish
~Step 1. Place the whole flank steak, flat, on a large cutting board. Using a large chef's knife held at a 30º angle, cut the meat, across the grain, into 1/4" inch-thick slices.
~ Step 2. One-at-a-time, thread each slice of steak onto a 10" long wooden skewer, to within 3" of the top of each skewer, which will serve as a handle for easily flipping the meat over on the grill pan.
~ Step 3. Pictured here are 2, plastic, 1-quart food storage containers. I got them for free, with the granola I purchase at the grocery store. My kitchen is never without a stack of them. With the containers laying on their sides, arrange the meat skewers inside each one, stacking the skewers on top of one another. Turn the containers upright, then, slowly drizzle all of the marinade between the two, 1 1/2 cups marinade in each container. Place in the refrigerator to marinate the meat for 2-4-6 hours.
~Step 4. When the beef is finished marinating, pour the marinade from the containers into a 1-1 1/2-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
~Step 5. Spray a large two-burner-sized grill pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pan on stovetop, over two burners, over medium-high heat. Place the skewers, side-by-side, and cook until sizzling and lightly-golden, turning only once, 3-3 1/2 minutes per side. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Plate, garnish & serve hot, warm or at room temperature:
There's no need for me try to sell you on how good these are:
Open Sesame: Japanese Teriyaki Steak Skewers: Recipe yields 3 cups teriyaki sauce and 30-36 teriyaki-steak skewers.
Special Equipment List: 1-cup measuring container; 1-quart saucepan; small whisk; cutting board; chef's knife; 30-36, 8" long wooden skewers; 2, 1-quart food storage containers, the reusable kind left from store-bought granola and various snacks; large, 2-burner-sized grill pan placed on the stovetop
Cook's Note: Here in my Pennsylvania kitchen, my family prefers their teriyaki steak threaded onto skewers and cooked on the grill or grill pan. When it comes to their teriyaki chicken, they prefer it presented stir-fry style. Click on this link to get my recipe for ~ Dinner's in 20 Minutes: Teriyaki Chicken ~.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2024)
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