© 2018 by Rob Firing
SERVES 4 TO 6
I love the fermented, salty flavours of Japanese savoury dishes. On steak, this skyrockets the flavour into the umamisphere, making every bite a sultry sensation. On flank steak, the coating also lets you cook the steak to rare or medium-rare so you can be assured of a delightfully dark and sumptuous crust, which will greatly please the Steak Gods, not to mention your dinner guests.
5 TABLESPOONS DARK MISO
3 TABLESPOONS SAKE (OR DRY VERMOUTH, BUT SAKE IS BETTER)
2 TABLESPOONS LIQUID HONEY
1 TABLESPOON GROUND DRIED GOCHUGARU OR ALEPPO PEPPER
1/2 TABLESPOON COCONUT OIL (OR ANOTHER OIL, BUT COCONUT WORKS BETTER HERE)
4 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY GRATED
1 WHOLE FLANK STEAK (ABOUT 2 POUNDS)
IN A BOWL, combine miso, sake, honey, gochugaru, coconut oil, and garlic until you have an even paste. Using your hands, rub it evenly all over your flank steak. Starting at a short end, roll the steak up like a sleeping bag. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prepare your grill.
PREPARE YOUR CHARCOAL GRILL to one-third cooler than peak heat, or heat your gas grill to medium-high (preheated on High for 10 minutes, lid closed).
USING A SHARP KNIFE, cut rolled-up steak in half right down the middle across its width, to get two narrower steaks. If the miso marinade thickly coats the flank steak, scrape some off (the steak should be thoroughly coated but not excessively goopy).
GRILL YOUR STEAK until it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F in the meaty middle. (This will get you to a perfect rare. If you want it medium-rare, which is completely acceptable, cook until the internal temperature is 120°F. In either case, your crust should be dark and sticky.) Very loosely wrap steak in foil and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. You may want to check for doneness with a small incision in this case, to get a better idea: the steak should be pinky-red inside, with some running juices and some rare meat in the very middle.
USING A SHARP KNIFE, cut your grilled steak across its width (across the grain) on a bias (really just for shape) into 1/4-inch slices. Pour juices from the foil and carving board into a ramekin or small cup, and serve alongside, for pouring or dipping.
COOKING WITH COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is also a wonderful cooking oil, and unlike almost every other plant-based oil, is naturally saturated (like animal fats it too remains stable when heated, avoiding the health issues associated with free radicals in food). Like lard or duck fat, coconut oil is solid at or under room temperature. It’s not altogether taste-neutral, though, so your food may smack just a little of coconut when you cook with it. Not always a bad thing!