Sunday dinner: beef teriyaki

This was probably one of the best made-from-scratch Chinese recipes I've ever had.  It was a bit too sweet, so I might alter the sauce ingredients a bit to use less rice wine vinegar.  Or find something less sweet but still has the same general flavor.  I'll work on that part.  If you try this recipe and alter the sauce, let me know what you did!

Also, we use a flank steak and sliced it thin against the grain. Then we just cooked it in the pan instead of grilling it or cooking it in a pan.  It all turned out quite tasty and we WILL be making it again!  I'm sure could use frozen broccoli and canned mushrooms, even frozen carrot coins, just to save some money.  But I wouldn't cook them as long since they're already par-boiled to begin with.

Oh and double the sauce.  DEFINITELY.

BEEF TERIYAKI
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1/4 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 small Golden Delicious apple, grated (about 1/4 cup)
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 bunch broccoli, cut into medium florets (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (I used bottled minced ginger)
2 cloves garlic, minced (used bottled again)
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin
4 oz. shiitake or button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt
2 lbs. beef skirt steak cut into 4 steaks (we used flank steak, sliced thin)
Accommpaniment: steamed short grain white rice

In small saucepan over medium heat, stir together soy sauce, mirin, sake, 2 tbsp sugar and grated apple.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Keep warm.

In medium saucepan of boiling water, cook carrots until just slightly tender, about 2 minutes.  Add broccoli and continue boiling until all vegetables are tender, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.  Using slotted spoon, remove vegeatbles.  Set aside.  NOTE:  If cooking veggies ahead of time, shock them in an ice bath after boiling to keep from cooking.

In large wok or saute pan over moderately high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking.  Add ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds.  Add carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, salt, and remaining sugar and stir fry unitl veggies are tender and heated through, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to serving platter.  Add steaks ot pan and sear until browned, 1-2 minutes per side.  Add reserved sauce, reduce heat to moderate, and simmer steaks, turning once, until sauce is reduced to syrupy consistency and steaks are cooked to medium doneness, about 2 minutes longer. 

Transfer steaks to cutting board and thinly slice on bias.  Transfer to serving platter and top with sauce.  Serve with steamed rice.