3 Wafu Japanese-Style Steak Sauce Recipes
Have you ever eaten or heard of Wafu steak? If not, you may wonder what the word Wafu stands for.
Actually, “Wafu (和風)” literally means “Japanese-style”. But what does the Wafu come from?
Wafu Steak (和風ステーキ)
As far as beefsteak is concerned, I think the Wafu especially comes from the sauce, condiment, and garnish, by which the Japanese steak is characterized.
Sauce
Wafu steak sauce can be made from 2 ingredients, shoyu or soy sauce, and mirin or sweet cooking rice wine.
However, in many cases, Japanese home cooks deepen the flavor and taste by adding a few other seasonings to them.
Condiment
In terms of condiment, we often enjoy Wafu beef steak with grated Japanese horseradish “Wasabi (ワサビ)“.
Garnish
As for garnish or topping, many Japanese like to put grated Daikon radish on Wafu beef steak and eat them together.
Additionally, as you can see in the photo, lemon slices and chopped green onions go well with the Japanese beef steak.
Taste
As you can imagine from the sauce, condiment, and garnish, Wafu steak typically has a refreshing taste.
Recipes
Among the elements above, I think the sauce is the key to making Wafu steak delicious.
So here, I will introduce 3 easy and tasty Wafu steak sauce recipes from the following Japanese websites.
From Kikkoman
As you may know, Kikkoman is a leading Japanese seasoning maker known for its soy sauce.
On the official website, to make steak sauce, the company recommends combining their soy sauce and mirin at the ratio of 1:1. Specifically,
- Season a slice of beef with a dash of salt and pepper
- Cook the meat in a frying pan with some vegetable oil
- Add soy sauce and mirin and coat the beef quickly
- Arrange the cooked beef on a plate and enjoy!
From Pokka Sapporo
Pokka Sapporo is a Japanese company producing foods and beverages.
On the official website, the maker recommends making steak sauce with soy sauce, mirin, and 100% lemon juice.
The recommended mixing ratio of soy sauce, mirin, and 100% lemon juice is 2:3:2. Specifically,
- Sprinkle a dash of salt and black pepper over a slice of beef
- After heating a pan over low heat with some oil and garlic, cook the meat
- Dish up the cooked meat on a plate and put the soy sauce, mirin, and lemon juice
- Enjoy!
From Cookpad.Com
Lastly, let me introduce an authentic reputable Wafu steak sauce recipe from cookpad.com, a popular Japanese recipe site.
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Mirin | 60cc |
| Sake | 35cc |
| Soy sauce | 60cc |
| Sugar | 20g |
- Put the mirin and sake in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil so that the alcohol content will be evaporated
- Add the soy sauce and sugar, and simmer down the sauce moderately
- Serve beef steak with the sauce and enjoy!
