Nuoc Cham Marinated Steak
Nuoc cham is a Vietnamese dipping sauce that we're using here as a marinade for juicy steak. The intense flavor of the fish sauce melds perfectly with the savory juices from the beef. Searing and then finishing the steak in the oven is a fail-safe method to ensure the outside develops a deep brown crust without burning before the steak finishes cooking. Serve with lime wedges and a Napa cabbage slaw.
Reverse Sear Steak
Learning how to reverse-sear means you can serve steakhouse quality meals in your own kitchen. The trick to this ingenious cooking method is to first cook the steak in a low oven, then transfer it to a blazing hot skillet to quickly sear both sides. The result is a steak with a deeply browned crust and an inside that is evenly cooked. This method is especially helpful when cooking thick steaks; it allows the meat to cook exactly to your taste without overcooking or even burning the exterior of the steak. Although this steak is delicious straight out of the skillet, we added a buttery wine pan sauce to finish off the dish. The recipe for the herb butter added to the sauce makes more than you will need, and is very handy to have around to dress up a pot of rice or vegetables at the last minute.
Smoke-Grilled Tri-Tips with Jeow Som Dipping Sauce
2020 F&W Best New Chef Donny Sirisavath of Khao Noodle Shop in Dallas shared this recipe, a nod to his Laotian heritage and Texas upbringing, when his parents grilled brisket over hardwood coals for family gatherings. Here, thick and meaty tri-tip steaks get seared on the hot zone of the grill and then slowly smoke-grilled until medium-rare. Let them rest, and then thinly slice them against the grain and serve with Sirisavath's jeow som, a fiery, fish sauce–flavored dipping sauce. A quick soak in beer tenderizes thick tri-tip steaks, and a marinade of garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, and fish sauce builds big flavor. Sirisavath loves using oak or mesquite wood here, placed at the center of the grill, alongside the lit coals, where they smolder and add a rich aroma.
Garlic-Butter Steak Bites
These quickly stir-fried beef bites deliver all the savory luxury of a steakhouse-caliber steak, without the stress over cooking one at home. The buttery, velvety sauce coats every piece nicely, and the vermouth's herbal richness pairs nicely with the savory Worcestershire. Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks, or enjoy over mashed potatoes or polenta.
Hanger Steaks with Cabbage-and-Beet Salad
"Cabbage is a hard sell on restaurant menus, so it's very underutilized but a great vegetable," says chef Craig Koketsu, of New York City's Quality Bistro. "This salad is sweet, salty, savory, and acidic. It's so dynamic when you're eating it, even though it's all red." Though it stands alone on Koketsu's menu, we've topped our version with hanger steak for a quick weeknight dinner. While the steak cooks, the cabbage and beets marinate in a tangy mixture of Champagne vinegar and horseradish. Bleu d'Auvergne cheese is worth seeking out for its mild flavor.
Steak Frites with Black Garlic Butter
Charolais is a breed of cattle from Burgundy prized for its tender, flavorful and marbled (not fatty) meat. Substitute a grass-fed or finished hanger steak to channel the juicy, nutty qualities of the French beef.
