Do you rinse your rice? Apparently this is a very controversial question. Growing up, we never did, but as I’ve moved into the Bay Area, rice technique seems to be more important. What level of rinsed is rinsed enough? I’m not sure, but I do know that it should be done before cooking - unless you’re a guy I worked with in Dublin who tried to brag that he rinsed his after… soupy, wet rice seems…delicious?
One of my best friends got this book for me years ago and this steak recipe seemed the perfect pairing with the kimchi fried rice that my favorite pandemic treat, Truffle Shuffle, sent to their followers for free this week [Seriously, their mac and cheese is the best I've ever had].
Ingredients:
Flank Steak: [Instructions in blue]
2 tsp whole black peppercorns, coarsely ground
1 TB whole coriander seeds, coarsely ground with a mortar/pestle [I don’t have one, so I bashed them in a ziplock with a rolling pin]
2 TB soy sauce
2 TB dark sesame oil
3 TB vegetable oil
¼ c. sugar
½ medium jalapeno, roughly chopped (seeds removed if you don’t want spicy)
1 medium garlic clove, minced [I used 3 large]
¼ medium bunch cilantro, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
1 ½ lbs flank steak
Kimchi Fried Rice:
2 cups short grain rice
3 cups water
1 2-inch piece ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch scallions
2 fresno peppers
1 Meyer lemon
1⁄2 bunch carrots
1 bunch broccolini
1 jar kimchi [I’m assuming this means 8-10oz - I love kimchi so I have a huge vat from Costco]
1 ounce bacon
4 ounces peeled and deveined
shrimp
1⁄2 bunch mint
1⁄2 bunch thai basil
1⁄2 bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1⁄8 cup sesame oil
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
A note on timing - the rice needs to be made and cooled the day before. The flank steak needs to be marinated 6-24 hours before.
The day before: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer, whisking vigorously with your hands, until the water runs clear. Drain well and place in a large sauce pot. Add 3 cups of water, stir, and bring to a simmer, making sure the middle of the pot is also simmering. Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes (no peeking or the steam will escape!). Fluff with a fork and spread onto a sheet tray. Set aside to dry at room temperature until rice stops steaming. Once cool, transfer to the refrigerator and allow to dry, uncovered, overnight.
To make the steak marinade, combine peppercorns, coriander seeds, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro. Pour over the meat, coat both sides, cover, and refrigerate overnight. We went a little rogue and decided to try using the vacu-sealer to fast track the marinade…it was…problematic…marinade got sucked up into the machine which was fun to clean.
30 minutes before grilling, remove steak from refrigerator. Gently wipe off marinade with your hands into a small saucepan (leave any peppercorns or coriander seeds that are clinging to the meat) and place on a clean plate. Transfer marinade remaining in pan into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until marinade is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Heat a grill to medium high or place a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. When very hot, lightly pat steak with a paper towel. Sear for about 5 minutes per side for medium rare, 7-10 minutes per side for medium-well, depending on thickness of steak. Remove from heat and brush with a tablespoon or two of reduced marinade. Loosely tent with foil and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice.
Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Slice the scallions, white and tender green parts only, setting aside the dark green tops for later. Stem, seed, and slice the fresno peppers. Peel the Meyer lemon and mince the rind. In a small bowl, stir together the ginger, garlic, scallions, peppers, and lemon zest. This is the “aromatic flavor bomb!!” or “AFB.”
It's important to do the prep work first and have everything ready to go - the cooking goes really fast! Peel and dice the carrots, cut the broccolini into spears, and chop the kimchi into large chunks. Pick the mint, Thai basil, and cilantro. Slice the scallion tops. Transfer to a small bowl and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Cube the bacon. Cut the shrimp to match the bacon’s size.
In a cast iron skillet pan over medium-low heat, toast the sesame seeds until golden brown and delicious. Spread onto a plate to cool and set aside. [I didn't realize I didn't still have sesame seeds until I was setting up my mise en place...oops]
In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Add the bacon and stir until rendered and crispy. Add the shrimp, season with Balinese Truffle Salt and saute for 1-2 mins. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the carrots and stir to soften, about 1-2 mins. Add the broccoli and kimchi, season with truffle salt (if using, or regular salt), and saute until tender. Transfer to the large bowl with the bacon mixture.
Return the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Just before the oil begins to smoke, add the rice and spread into one even layer. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil over the rice as evenly as possible. Pan fry for 1 minute, then gently stir to coat evenly in the oil.
Spread the rice into one even layer once more and allow to fry without moving until the bottom layer of rice is GBD, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the AFB and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat to high and pour the sesame oil mixture over the rice to deglaze. Let simmer and reduce down until almost dry. Season with Balinese Truffle Salt.
Transfer the rice to the large bowl with the bacon, shrimp, and vegetables. Mix, allowing the heat from the rice to warm all of the ingredients through. Toss in half of the herb mixture and allow the greens to gently wilt. Plate your beautiful fried rice, garnished with the remaining herb mixture and toasted sesame seeds.
The steak was ok - it was better the next day on a steak sandwich with gochuchang mayo [2 TB light mayo mixed with 1 tsp gochuchang], but the fried rice is the true star here. It is herby and fresh, packed with veggies, with a hint of kimchi. I’m not sure that I could taste the truffle salt so feel free to omit. The rice was delicious cold the next day as well as heated for leftovers. I will say that it was a lot of prep work to mise en place this dish, but I’d definitely do it again.
Ratings:
Steak - Good
Fried Rice - Excellent
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