Don’t you love it when you make something that you know is good, and you feed it to someone who has their doubts (because that’s just how they are, they doubt everything), and their eyes light up and they get a big smile on their face right after the first bite? That was my mother and father after biting into this teriyaki steak.
Cut Across the Grain for Tender Teriyaki Steak
Flank steak is naturally tough, but the combination of marinating it in this homemade teriyaki marinade of mirin, sake, and soy sauce, along with a fast sear on high heat, and then cutting thin slices against the grain, makes for a juicy, tender presentation.
Making Teriyaki Marinade Into a Glaze
Please note that if you are concerned by the idea of reusing the marinade after the raw steak has been sitting in it, you will be boiling the heck out of this marinade, killing anything that may have decided to grow in it during the marinating process. If you are still concerned, make twice as much marinade, and reserve half to boil down to make the sauce, using the other half as a marinade.
Place the steak in the marinade and let marinate for at least an hour, and up to 48 hours. If marinating for more than an hour, keep chilled until an hour before you plan to cook. Place marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the marinade has reduced to a thin glaze, becoming your teriyaki sauce. Pat dry the steak. Rub a little olive oil all over it. Place the steak on the hot grill or pan. Sear for 3 to 5 minutes on one side, or until the side is well browned, and turn the steak over and sear the other side. Baste the steak with teriyaki sauce. Then make thin slices (1/4-inch) across the grain and on a slight diagonal. Slicing this way will break up the muscle fibers, making this naturally tough cut of meat quite tender. If there are juices that run out of the steak as you cut it, add the juices to the teriyaki sauce. There’s lots of goodness in the steak “jus” that you don’t want to waste. Arrange on a serving plate and pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over it.
