Sasebo Lemon Steak
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Lemon steak is a Sasebo, Nagasaki griddle dish developed around 1955 as a lighter Japanese interpretation of American-style steak.
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Thin slices of beef loin are seared quickly on one side over high heat, then finished with a sauce of grated onion, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice. The second side cooks in the bubbling sauce just long enough for the thin meat to heat through without becoming tough. Bright citrus cuts the richness while onion and soy capture the beef juices. In Sasebo, diners often finish by adding rice to the hot plate and mixing it with the remaining sauce and meat drippings.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Combine the grated onion, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a bowl to make the lemon soy sauce.
- 2Control
Heat a griddle or wide pan thoroughly over high heat and spread the oil thinly.
Lay out the beef without overlap and sear the first side for about 30 seconds, until its red surface turns brown.
- 3Season
Turn the beef and pour the lemon soy sauce around the edge of the pan.
Once it bubbles strongly, cook for 30 to 60 seconds while turning the slices, until no raw red areas remain in any folds.
- 4Finish
Transfer the beef immediately to plates and spoon over the remaining lemon soy sauce and meat juices.
Sprinkle evenly with black pepper and serve while hot and tender.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Thin beef sears rapidly on one side over high heat.
- Finish cue
- Sprinkle evenly with black pepper and serve while hot and tender.
- Avoid this
- The second side cooks in the bubbling sauce just long enough for the thin meat to heat through without becoming tough.
- Substitution
- Crowding thin beef drops the pan temperature and steams it instead of searing.
- Storage and reheating
- Cook in two batches if needed, reheating the pan over high heat each time.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 7 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 194 recipes
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