Introduction
With good ingredients, you do not need much to impress. This is a great table-cooked dish where everyone gets the smell and heat straight from the pan.
Wagyu is very rich, so acidity matters. The quick brine with apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper gives exactly the contrast the dish needs.
Step-by-step
Ingredients
- 400 g wagyu steak, sliced into thin strips (14 oz)
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 200 g red cabbage, thinly shredded (7 oz)
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 200 g brown mushrooms or shiitake, sliced (7 oz)
- 1 bunch broccolini
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup)
- 60 ml water (1/4 cup)
- 15 g sugar (1 tbsp)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil for frying if needed
- Soy oil or ponzu for dipping
Method
- Mix apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Add cucumber and red cabbage and let it pickle while you prep the rest.
- Slice wagyu into thin strips. Prep mushrooms, shallots, and broccolini.
- Heat a large skillet or tabletop grill pan until very hot. Cook shallots and mushrooms quickly until lightly browned.
- Sear broccolini quickly over high heat so it gets color but still keeps some bite.
- Sear the wagyu strips very briefly in the same hot pan. Think seconds, not minutes. You only want a light crust.
- Serve with the pickled cucumber and cabbage, and set out soy oil or ponzu for dipping both meat and vegetables.
Serving note
Cook in small batches so the pan stays hot. If the pan gets crowded, the meat will steam instead of sear.
Serve everything in small bowls at the table so each person can build their own bite.
