Chef notes
This recipe is made with flank steak, which is great for grilling, and the yakitori sauce can also be used for many other proteins, including chicken and seafood.
Technique tip: For the tenderest steak, make sure to cut across the grain of the meat. Also, make sure to brush the meat with the yakitori sauce seconds before the meat comes off the grill, so that it doesn't burn and become bitter.
Swap option: Try New York strip or rib-eye steak instead of flank steak.
Special equipment: Four 7-inch bamboo skewers.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces mirin
- 3 ounces sake
- 5 ounces soy sauce
- 2½ ounces tamari soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 large Fuji apple
- 1/4 large sweet onion
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 8 ounces flank steak
- 1 bunch green onions
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
For the yakitori sauce:
1.Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2.In a sauce-pot, over medium-high heat, add the mirin and sake and heat to burn off the alcohol.
3.Remove the core from apple, but do not peel it. Cut the sweet onion and apples into 1/4-inch thick slices and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or till they are nicely roasted with nice color. Remove from the oven and add them to the pot.
4.Once the alcohol has burned off, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Then, in batches if necessary, process the mixture in a blender on high speed until very smooth. Then return everything to the sauce pot and keep warm until you are ready to baste the meats.
For the flank steak:
1.Preheat the grill to high heat.
2.Cut the steak into 1-inch cubes. Cut the bulbs of the green onions into 1-inch pieces. On each skewer, thread two pieces of beef, then 1 piece of green onion, and then 3 pieces of beef, another green onion and finally 2 pieces of beef. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3.Place the beef skewers on to the grill. Cook for about 2-2½ minutes per side, so that you get a nice medium doneness. Look for a nice golden brown sear on both sides of the beef. Seconds before removing from the grill, brush with the yakitori sauce on both sides and continue to cook for another 5 seconds on each side. Then remove from the grill and serve.
