Why it works: Sesame and miso work together. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 121 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Beef Misoyaki
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beef
Freeze steaks for 45 minutes or so until they are firm and partially frozen.
Remove excess fat, slice very thin, and place in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag.
Make the marinade
In a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over high heat, swirling pan, being careful not to burn.
Remove from heat and cool.
Place sesame seeds in a mortar and grind finely (but do not grind into a paste) or use a small coffee grinder set on pulse.
Place sesame seeds in a small bowl and mix with miso, soy sauce, sugar, and sake (it should have the consistency of runny peanut butter).
Add mixture to meat and work through as a marinate.
Allow meat to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cook and serve
Heat a large skillet or griddle on high.
Add a little oil.
Cook beef without crowding (you may want to cook half at a time).
Cook beef about 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking.
Place meat in broiler or grill and cook several minutes until cooked through.
Serve with steamed rice and a stir-fried vegetable cooked with ginger and a little soy.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Sake | 1 oz (30ml) | 39 |
| Miso | 1 tbsp (18g) | 34 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Sesame + misotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together121 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Miso + saketop 7% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together48 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sesame + saketop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together79 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Miso + saucetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together37 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + saucetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,147 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ribeye steaks
- Thin slicing and freezing firm the meat so it is easy to cut and stays tender.
- Miso
- Adds salty, savoury depth and helps the marinade cling to the meat.
- Sesame seeds
- Toasting adds nutty aroma, and grinding makes a paste-like coating for the beef.
- Sake or dry white wine
- Adds acidity and aroma that soften the marinade's savoury intensity.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the beef brown in the hot pan.
- Soy sauce
- Adds salty, savoury flavour and deepens colour during cooking.
The step that matters
Cooking the beef without crowding the pan. Crowding a hot skillet drops its temperature, so meat steams and turns grey instead of searing and browning. Cooking in batches keeps the pan hot for a good crust.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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