Bite-size steak cubes
Cubes cook through fast, so medium heat melts the fat instead of burning it.
Heat
Medium
Time
About 10 minutes
Skip this
Do not cook the cubes well-done.
Unlike supermarket beef
- Unlike supermarket beef, skip the oil and use a smaller portion.
Before you start
- A steak thaws overnight in the fridge.
- Take it out 20 to 30 minutes before you cook.
Tools: Skillet, Instant-read thermometer.
What you need
- 1 steak, ribeye, strip, or sirloin
- Salt
- Soy sauce
Steps
- 1
Cut the steak into bite-size cubes and salt them just before cooking.
- 2
Warm a dry skillet on medium. Add no oil.
- 3
Cook the cubes about 1 minute per side, until the center is pink.
If the fat is smoking hard, the pan is too hot.
- 4
Check a cube reaches 145°F, rest 3 minutes, and serve.
Temperature
USDA safe temperature: 145°F, then rest 3 minutes. Use a thermometer. Color is not a test.
Many cooks pull steak around 130 to 135°F for a pink center. That is below the USDA number, which is 145°F plus a 3 minute rest.
In Japan / at home
In Japan, Saikoro steak: steak is often cut into bite-size pieces before it reaches the table, because people eat it with chopsticks. A Japanese-style steak comes with grated radish and soy sauce.
At home in America: Our cattle are AWA-registered fullblood raised in Florida. Cook the same way, and use the USDA temperature on this page. Wasabi is optional. Salt, then soy sauce on the side, is enough.
Serve it withRice, Soy sauce on the side
LeftoversKeeps 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water.
FeedsA 4 ounce piece feeds one. One steak often feeds two or three.
Then rest a steak or roast 3 minutes. Color is not a doneness test.
Supermarket beef: add oil, then drain the pan.
This beef: no oil. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Skip: A smoking-hot pan · A 12 ounce portion per person
Sources: USDA food safety, Wikipedia