Cook_s_Country_-_October_2019

SIMPLE HIBACHI-STYLE

FRIED RICE Serves 4

Mirin can be found in your supermar-

ket’s Asian foods section. Black pepper

can be substituted for the white pep-

per, if desired.

1½ cups long-grain white rice

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

¼ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 scallions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1½ tablespoons mirin

1. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large
   saucepan over high heat. Add rice and
   cook, stirring occasionally, until just
   cooked through, about 12 minutes.
   Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer or
   colander. Whisk eggs, sesame oil,
   salt, and white pepper together
   in bowl; set aside. Combine
   butter and garlic in second
   bowl; set aside.
   2. Heat vegetable oil in
   12-inch nonstick skillet
   over medium-high heat
   until shimmering. Add
   egg mixture and stir
   with rubber spatula
   until set but still wet,
   about 15 seconds.
   3. Add scallions and
   rice and cook until
   sizzling and popping
   loudly, about 3 min-
   utes. Add soy sauce and
   mirin and cook, stirring
   constantly, until thoroughly
   combined, about 2 minutes.
   Stir in garlic butter until incor-
   porated. Serve.

SPICY MAYONNAISE

(YUM-YUM SAUCE)

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about ¾ cup)

White miso can be substituted for the

red miso, if desired.

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon red miso

1 teaspoon tomato paste

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon table salt

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

WHITE MUSTARD SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 2⁄3 cup)

Be sure to use toasted sesame oil here.

If you prefer a spicier sauce, add more

dry mustard.

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1½ teaspoons dry mustard

1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Vigorously whisk all ingredients in

bowl until combined and slightly

thickened.

SWEET GINGER SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about ¾ cup)

Be sure to use unseasoned rice vin-

egar here.

½ cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 (¾-inch) piece ginger, peeled

and chopped

Process all ingredients in blender

until smooth, about 15 seconds,

scraping down sides of blender jar

as needed.

1. Combine melted
   butter, soy sauce, and
   garlic in bowl; set aside. Pat
   steaks dry with paper towels
   and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon
   white pepper and ¾ teaspoon salt.


2. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over
   medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add
   oil to skillet and swirl to coat. Add steaks
   and cook, flipping steaks every 2 minutes,
   until well browned and meat registers
   120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare),
   10 to 13 minutes. Transfer steaks to carving
   board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest.


3. While steaks rest, add zucchini, onions,
   mushrooms, remaining ¼ teaspoon white
   pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to
   fat left in skillet and stir to combine. Pat
   vegetables into even layer and cook over
   medium-high heat, without stirring, until
   beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir
   and continue to cook 2 minutes longer. Add
   mirin and 2 tablespoons soy-garlic butter to
   skillet and continue to cook until liquid has
   evaporated and vegetables are well browned,
   about 2 minutes longer.


4. Transfer vegetables to serving platter.
   Slice steaks ¼ inch thick and transfer to
   platter with vegetables. Drizzle steaks with
   remaining soy-garlic butter. Serve.

Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, a Tokyo native, came

to the United States in the early 1960s on a

wrestling scholarship, earned a restaurant

management degree, and began to pursue his

dream of opening a Japanese restaurant in

New York. Aoki’s father agreed to help bankroll

the project under one condition: It needed to

provide entertainment. When his first Beni-

hana opened in 1964, customers loved the

showy “performance” cooking that included

sleight-of-hand egg-cracking tricks and onion

volcanoes. By 1972, there were six Benihana

locations across the country, and Aoki’s

success continued to grow. He encountered

extreme highs and lows along the way, living

lavishly but also coming under scrutiny for in-

sider trading and nearly dying in a powerboat

race under the Golden Gate Bridge. Aoki died

in 2008, leaving behind dozens of restaurants.

THE

AMERICAN

TABLE

TIMING IT RIGHT 1. Put on the water for the rice. 2. Make the sauces.

3. Boil and drain the rice; prepare the steak and vegetables while the rice cooks.
   4. Make the fried rice and cover to keep warm. 5. Cook the steaks.


4. While the steaks rest, cook the vegetables. 7. Serve and enjoy!

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