Japanese beef skewers

Name: Japanese beef skewers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 21 min
Yield: 2 to 3
Cuisine: Québécoise
Ingredients: 1 lb (500 g) top-quality beef strip loin (1 ½ inches / 4 cm thick), still solidly frozen for slicing; ½ cup (125 ml) dark brown sugar; ⅔ cup (160 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tbsp (30 ml) sake (or white wine as a replacement); 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, finely grated; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame seeds; 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil; 2 green onions, chopped; Juice of 1 lime; Fresh chopped green onions, for garnish; Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation 15 min
Refrigeration 1 h
Cooking 6 min
Servings 2 to 3
Freezing I do not suggest

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Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) top-quality beef strip loin (1 ½ inches / 4 cm thick), still solidly frozen for slicing
½ cup (125 ml) dark brown sugar
⅔ cup (160 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) sake (or white wine as a replacement)
1 tsp (5 ml) fresh ginger, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame seeds
1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
2 green onions, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh chopped green onions, for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

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Preparation

Soak bamboo skewers in water for a few hours (or use metal skewers).
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, green onions and lime juice. Stir well to dissolve the brown sugar.
Split the marinade in two: ¾ for the meat, ¼ reserved in the fridge in a sealed container for serving.
Trim the thick line of fat off the strip loin. Slice the strip loin while it is still solidly frozen, into very thin slices against the grain.
Put the beef slices in a resealable bag or an airtight container with the ¾ of marinade. Marinate 1 hour at room temperature.
Take the bamboo skewers out of the water. Using 2 skewers in parallel, thread the meat so it holds in place and won’t spin on the grate.
Preheat the barbecue wide open for 10 minutes (about 600 °F (315 °C) on a 3-burner Weber). Shut one burner off. Oil the grate.
Lay the skewers over the lit burner with the bamboo handles hanging over the unlit side so they don’t burn during the cook.
Grill 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. The meat is ultra thin, so it cooks fast. Watch it closely: overcooked or burnt happens in seconds.
At serving time, spoon the reserved marinade over the skewers. Garnish generously with fresh green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Pull the pieces off the skewers as you eat and dip them in the leftover sauce. That’s where the magic happens.