Things You’ll Need
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Whisk
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Soy sauce
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Sesame oil
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Lime juice
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Ginger
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Bowl
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Plastic zipper bag
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Sea salt
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Coarse pepper
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Chef’s knife
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Olive oil
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Tongs
Slicing marinated steak thinly helps it cook faster. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images
What Americans call hibachi cooking is actually referred to in Japanese as teppanyaki. By either name, it is the technique of searing foods quickly over fairly high heat. In Japanese restaurants this is accomplished by chefs cooking at tables that have a heated cooktop in the center. To achieve fresh and authentic teppanyaki taste at home, you can prepare your marinated steak using an electric home hibachi, a flat-topped griddle or a cookie sheet laid across two burners.
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Step 1
Whisk together soy sauce and sesame oil until they are well mixed. The proportions don't have to be exact, but aim for 1 part sesame oil to 2 parts soy sauce. Flavor the mixture with lime juice and powdered ginger or minced fresh ginger to taste.
Step 2
Place your steak into a plastic zipper bag and add the marinade. Squeeze out any extra air and seal the bag. Let the steak soak for at least an hour, though you can also leave it overnight.
Step 3
Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you intend to cook it. Pour off the marinade and discard it.
Step 4
Season the steak generously on both sides with coarse salt and cracked pepper.
Step 5
Slice the steak into thin strips across the grain with a very sharp chef's knife. Keep the thickness of the slices as uniform as possible.
Step 6
Coat your cooking surface with just enough olive or vegetable oil to barely cover it. Heat the hibachi, griddle or two burners beneath your cookie sheet to medium-high. Let the cooking surface preheat until you can smell the oil.
Step 7
Place the steak strips onto the hot, oiled surface all at once, standing back to ensure that you don't get splattered or scalded. Arrange the strips in a single layer with your tongs and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 8
Turn the steak strips and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately.
Tip
Cook large pieces of mushrooms, zucchini, red or white onion and bean sprouts seasoned with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of lemon juice with your hibachi steak and serve with fried rice for an authentic hibachi steak dinner.
Warning
Do not add more than a few drops of liquid when cooking hibachi-style or the food will steam instead of searing.
