Description
Beef Tataki is a Japanese-style seared beef dish featuring thinly sliced, lightly roasted beef tenderloin or sirloin steak served with a tangy yuzu dressing and garlic-infused oil. Garnished with crispy potato straws or fried shallots and fresh green onions, this dish combines delicate flavors and varied textures for a refined yet simple appetizer or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 250g / 8 oz beef tenderloin/fillet (thin piece 13-15cm long, 5-6″, cut to even thickness)
- 300g / 10 oz sirloin steak (aka Porterhouse in Australia, New York strip in US)
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Yuzu Dressing
- 1 tbsp cooking sake
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (can substitute apple cider vinegar)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (regular)
- 1 tbsp yuzu juice (or 1/2 tbsp each lime and lemon juice as substitute)
Garlic Infused Oil
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or rapeseed oil or light olive oil)
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced 2 mm thick
Garnishes
- Crispy potato straws (Pommes Paille, optional)
- Crispy fried shallots (store bought, easy option)
- 1 green onion, finely sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Beef tenderloin preparation: Preheat the oven to 130°C / 275°F. Rub the beef tenderloin evenly with vegetable oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the beef on a wire rack set over a tray to allow even roasting.
- Roasting: Roast the beef in the oven for 18–20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 41°C / 105°F. Start checking the temperature after 15 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Searing: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Sear the beef on all sides for about 10 seconds per side to develop a flavorful crust, without cooking through.
- Cooling and resting: Transfer the beef onto a wire rack on a tray and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate uncovered for 2 hours to firm up the meat for easier slicing.
- Slicing: Using a sharp knife, slice the beef as thinly as possible (ideally 3mm or 1/16″ thick), but slices up to 5mm or 1/8″ thick are acceptable. Aim to avoid tearing the meat during slicing.
- Yuzu dressing preparation: Combine the sake and mirin in a small saucepan and gently bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then pour into a bowl and let cool. Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and yuzu juice to complete the dressing.
- Garlic infused oil: Place the grapeseed oil and sliced garlic in a small saucepan on low heat. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns light golden. Remove from heat, cool for 15 minutes, then strain the oil to remove garlic slices.
- Assembly: Arrange the sliced beef on a serving plate, slightly overlapping. Drizzle 3–4 tablespoons of the yuzu dressing evenly over the beef, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the garlic infused oil. Pile crispy potato straws or fried shallots in the center and sprinkle with finely sliced green onion if using.
- Serving: Serve immediately, ensuring each bite includes some crispy potato and flavorful beef with dressing.
- Easy steak option: Rub sirloin steak with oil and salt. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking and cook steak to rare doneness (approx. 1 1/2–2 minutes per side, depending on thickness). Allow to cool, then thinly slice as per beef tenderloin method. Arrange slices on a plate, drizzle with dressing and garlic oil or alternative sauce, sprinkle with crispy fried shallots and green onion, and serve.
Notes
- Note 1: Choose a premium beef cut like tenderloin for delicate texture.
- Note 2: Sirloin steak can be used as an easier, more accessible alternative.
- Note 4: Cooking sake and mirin are sake-based Japanese seasonings, but subbing unseasoned cooking sake is acceptable.
- Note 5: Use regular Japanese soy sauce for authentic flavor; light soy can affect color and saltiness.
- Note 6: Yuzu juice has a unique citrus flavor; if unavailable, a mix of lime and lemon juice works well.
- Note 8: Green onion adds subtle freshness and color; optional but recommended for garnish.
- Note 9: Cooking to 41°C / 105°F internal temperature ensures rare doneness, preserving tenderness.
- Note 10: Use a very sharp knife and gently saw back and forth to get thin slices without tearing the beef.
- Note 11: Adjust steak cooking time based on thickness and desired doneness; rare is ideal for tataki.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Beef Tataki, Japanese beef dish, seared beef, yuzu dressing, garlic oil, crispy garnishes, Japanese appetizer
