Hong Kong Steak

 

I have always liked Hong Kong Steak, and it’s the perfect marriage of East and West, but not a lot of Chinese restaurants offer it on their menu. This is my take based on several recipes I’ve seen.

Most recipes don’t marinate the steak (that’s a no for me). The one recipe that marinates the steak uses Hoisin sauce, and I think restaurants use oyster sauce, for drizzling over the finished steak, neither of which I have nor really need in my pantry, so I had to look to other recipes for inspiration. I found a recipe that uses ketchup, HP sauce, and Worcestershire sauce instead. Perfect! (I gave it my own twist, of course!) It would have been just fine without the gravy, but it looked too naked.

The only ingredients I had to buy (using Instacart) were the T-bone steak (it was smaller than I was expecting, but it turned out to be just the right weight for me) and broccoli. Everything else I already have in my pantry. 

I don’t have a grill (well, technically there are grills on the rooftop deck, but I didn't feel like firing up a grill just for one steak), but I do have a grill pan. Searing in a frying pan just doesn’t produce nice grill marks.

• 3 tblsp vegetable oil 
• 1 tsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tblsp garlic paste 
• 1 tblsp ginger paste 
• 4 tsp sugar
• 1 T-bone steak, about 3/4 lb
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tblsp cornstarch
• 1 tblsp jalapeño ketchup
• 1 tblsp HP sauce
• 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• a pinch of white pepper
• 1 small beef bouillon cube, crumbled
• steamed broccoli, seasoned with salt to taste
• hot cooked rice (I only use basmati rice); it's not as sticky as Chinese rice)

1. In zip top bag, combine 2 tblsp vegetable oil, soy sauce, salt, white pepper, garlic paste, ginger paste, and 1 tsp sugar. Add the steak to the zip top bag and refrigerate overnight. 
2. Remove the beef from the zip top bag and let return to room temperature. Pat dry.
3. Heat a grill pan over high heat and brush with 1 tblsp vegetable oil.
4. Sear the steak for 3 minutes per side. Let rest for 10 minutes. 
5. Make a slurry by mixing 1/4 cup water with the cornstarch.
6. In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 cup water, ketchup, HP sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, 1 tblsp sugar, white pepper, and crumbled beef bouillon and stir over medium heat until simmering. Stir in the slurry until the gravy has thickened.
7. Pour into a gravy bowl and set aside.
8. Thinly slice the steak at an angle across the grain and arrange on a serving platter with steamed broccoli. 
9. Drizzle gravy over the steak and serve with hot white rice.