Quick Local-Style Teri Beef
Two Scoop Rice: The Daily Plate Lunch Rhythms
The smell of shoyu and sugar caramelizing on a searing hot griddle is the undeniable scent of a Hawaiian weekend. Born on the sugar plantations when Japanese immigrants adapted their traditional fish glazes to include abundant local cane sugar and robust aromatics, this working-class staple isn't the sticky, cornstarch-laden mall food you find on the mainland. It is a fast, savory-sweet flash in the pan that relies on just a few perfect ingredients and high heat. Serve it with two scoops of sticky rice to soak up the juices, and a scoop of creamy mac salad to balance the salt.
Before you start
Chill the beef for razor-thin slicing.
Place your cut of beef in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes until firm to the touch but not frozen solid, then use a very sharp chef's knife to slice it against the grain into thin strips about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Ingredients
- beef loin flap meat or flank steak1 1/2 lb
- Aloha shoyu1/2 cup
- cane sugar1/2 cup
- garlic3 med cloves
- fresh ginger1 inch piece
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- green onions2 med
- medium-grain white rice2 cup
Method
- 01
Dissolve the sugar into the marinade.
In a large bowl, combine the shoyu, sugar, grated garlic, grated ginger, and one tablespoon of neutral oil, whisking vigorously until you can no longer feel the grit of the sugar at the bottom of the bowl.
- 02
Coat and marinate the beef.
Add the thinly sliced beef to the marinade and toss well to ensure every single slice is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 to 45 minutes for a quick weeknight meal, or up to 24 hours for the deepest flavor.
- 03
Get the pan smoking hot.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or carbon-steel flat-top griddle over medium-high to high heat and add a thin sheen of neutral oil.
- 04
Flash sear the beef in batches.
Once the oil is shimmering and just beginning to smoke, use tongs to lay the beef slices flat in the pan without crowding them. Let cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until a dark, caramelized crust forms, then flip and cook for one more minute before transferring to a platter.
- 05
Serve immediately with the daily plate lunch rhythms.
Pile the hot beef next to two generous scoops of sticky white rice and garnish with a sprinkle of green onions.
Notes
Adjusting mainland soy sauce.
Authentic Hawaiian food relies on Aloha brand shoyu, which is lighter and slightly sweeter than standard mainland soy sauces. If you only have Kikkoman, dilute a half cup of it with two tablespoons of water and add an extra tablespoon of sugar to replicate the local island flavor profile.
The pineapple tenderizer trick.
If you are utilizing a very cheap, tough cut of meat like a bottom round, add a quarter cup of canned pineapple juice to the marinade. The natural bromelain enzyme will break down the tough proteins, but do not marinate longer than four hours or the meat will turn to mush.
Boiling down the leftover marinade for sauce.
Traditional Teri Beef is not meant to swim in gravy, but if you want extra sauce to drizzle over your rice, pour the leftover marinade into a small saucepan. Boil it vigorously for 3 full minutes to kill bacteria, then thicken it with a slurry of one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water until glossy.
From Cook Hawaiian in America.