Recipe #45 - Seared Asian Steak

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Actual recipe name: Seared Asian Steak and Mushrooms on Mixed Greens with Ginger Dressing

I was so ready for another steak recipe and found this one in a Bon Appetit magazine I was reading. I was instantly sold on the steak and soy sauce combination. They are quickly becoming my two favorite ingredients to pair together. 

Another thing that caught my eye were the mushrooms. I realized that I have never cooked fresh mushrooms before.  Weird, huh? It seems 45 recipes into this I would have made at least one recipe with mushrooms. Granted, I'm not the biggest mushroom fan to begin with (and was probably subconsciously trying to avoid it), but I'm all about trying new things. And honestly, I was curious about how they cooked and the smells that they would put off during the cooking process compared to ordering a dish with them already prepared.  

So start by mixing 2 tablespoons soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, minced ginger, chili-garlic sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Add cilantro and stir to blend. Set dressing aside.

Run 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil over each side of each rib-eye steak. Sprinkle steaks with salt, pepper, and toasted sesame seeds; press firmly to adhere. 

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; saute until browned, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer sauteed mushrooms to plate. 

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a cutting board. Slice steaks. 

To finish it up, toss mixed greens with dressing in a large bowl; divide greens among plates. Top with steak slices and mushrooms and serve. 

Every time I make a recipe with a side salad, it always tells me to buy more greens than any 4 people can eat with the amount of meat served alongside. I had a whole bag of the mixed greens left over with this recipe. I also had a little of the dressing left, but that is to be expected I think. I just dished out what I thought each person would eat and added the dressing a little at a time so that it wouldn't drown the greens. 

Other than that, this recipe was a total success. The flavors worked very well together. Not surprisingly, the mushrooms shrank down to almost half their size (as do most veggies when cooked). I found myself wanting more of them rather than the meet by the last bite - so not like me! 

Not to down play the steak. It was perfectly tender and so very fresh. I bought it from the Whole Foods Market here in town. They only buy their meats from free range farms within 500 miles. So no freezing, no preservatives and no steroids. Only amazingly good products.  Much recommended.

Rating: 9

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4 

Nutrition Facts: 508 calories, 33g fat, 3g fiber

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

4 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced, peeled, fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce

2 1/8 teaspoon Asian sesame oil, divided 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

2 12-ounce rib-eye steaks 

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, quartered

4 cups mixed greens (the original recipe called for 8 cups, I cut it in half)