Breakfast | Pan-Seared Steak & Mackerel

Cooking StepsHow to cook Breakfast | Pan-Seared Steak & Mackerel step by step

Cooking Process

1. 
   Step 1 Detail

   Tenderize the beef: Cut 2 jin (~1 kg) of beef (flank, sirloin, or round — avoid sinewy cuts) into 1–2 cm thick slices. Use a meat mallet to pound both sides 2–3 times until the pieces are about 1.5x their original size and the fibers are broken down.

2. Step 2 Detail

   Chemical tenderizing: Add 20 g baking soda and 100 g water to the beef. Mix well until the water is fully absorbed. Then add enough fresh water to cover the beef, mix again until the liquid becomes sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours. This makes the beef silky tender.

3. Step 3 Detail

   Rinse: After 6 hours, remove the beef and rinse thoroughly under running water until the surface is no longer slick and there’s no baking soda smell. Squeeze out all excess water.

4. Step 4 Detail

   Season: To the drained beef, add garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, chicken bouillon, sugar, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil to lock in moisture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. At this point you can also freeze for later use.

5. Step 5 Detail

   Pan-sear: After thawing (if frozen), season the steak with black pepper and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on high heat, add the steak, and let it sear undisturbed for 1 minute before flipping. Cook about 5 minutes total for thick cuts, 3 minutes for thin.

6. Step 6 Detail

   Add butter: After flipping, reduce to low heat and add a knob of butter. Let the buttery aroma soak into the meat.

7. Step 7 Detail

   Finish: Flip occasionally as needed. Once done, the steak should be juicy and tender. Serve immediately.