Meat and potatoes is a classic that I’ve done spins on before on this blog, and I figured, New Year, new take on meat and potatoes? In this case, I wanted to do another steak, but for the potato portion, I wanted to combine experienced from my recent trips to Germany and Japan, paying homage to German potato dumplings, and make potato mochi. Probably popularized from Pokemon Legends: Arceus, potato mochi is made by mashing potatoes with potato starch into a soft, malleable dough, then searing it on both sides, and finishing it in a sweet-salty glaze, similar to dango glaze. It is extremely similar to a German potato dumpling, so I figured using it as a starch in a plated dish would be a fun way to go. I also brushed mine with kewpie mayonnaise, just to get a nicer sear and browning on the surface of the mochi, while adding an additional layer of umami on it. With the steak, I did a simple salt and pepper sear, but basted it in a mushroom soy-garlic butter, just to give it some nuttier notes while amplifying the savoriness of the meat. To add some freshness, I blanched and shocked some kale to give it a vibrant green color, and dressed it with shiraae, which is a Japanese sesame-tofu dressing, adding some creaminess, and more nuttiness to play off of the steak, in addition to a simple pan sauce to tie everything together. This dish is fairly simple in composition, but it gets the job done in terms of taking steak and potatoes and doing a slightly different take on them!

Makes 2 servings:
For the potato mochi:
300g russett potatoes, peeled and diced
30g potato starch
30g kewpie mayonnaise + more for searing
a pinch of salt

In a pot of boiling, salted water, boil your potatoes until fork tender – I boiled mine for about 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool slightly before mashing them with the potato starch, kewpie mayonnaise, and salt until a smooth, malleable mixture forms. Divide this in two and form each into a rounded shape. Brush the top sides of the mochi with kewpie mayonnaise. Sear the mochi in a nonstick pan for 2 minutes on medium-high heat, mayonnaise side down, and brush more on the un-brushed side. Flip and sear on the other side for another 2 minutes.

For the potato mochi glaze:
2 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

In a pot, bring everything to a simmer while whisking for 2-3 minutes. Once the glaze is thickened to the point of coating the back of your spoon, it is ready to brush onto the seared potato mochi.

For the kale shiraae:
8 stalks lacinato kale, cut into 1-inch long pieces
1oz firm tofu
1oz toasted white sesame seeds, ground
1 tbsp miso paste
a pinch of salt

Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1 minute, then shock in ice. In a bowl, mix firm tofu, sesame, and miso until a paste forms. Toss the kale in the paste to finish.

For the steak:
2 New York strip steaks
salt
black pepper
neutral oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce

Pat the steaks dry first, then generously season the exterior of them with salt and pepper. Line a pan with neutral oil and bring it up to high heat. Sear the steaks on each side for 2 minutes. Then add butter, garlic, and soy sauce to the pan, allowing the butter to fully melt. Baste each side of the steak with the soy-garlic butter about 30 times per side, then allow them to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Reserve the pan for the pan sauce.

For the beef pan sauce:
Reserved steak pan
2 tbsp mirin
1/4 cup beef stock
1 tsp fermented black bean paste

Heat the pan on low and stir in the mirin first, just to deglaze the pan. Add in the beef stock and fermented black bean paste, then bring to a simmer, reducing by half.