These Steak Bites with Miso Ginger Dressing started as a “healthy” endeavor and ended up being a glorious exercise in flavor. Soy butter steak bites are seared to perfection, served with rice and a handful of veggies of your choice, and drizzled with wonderful creamy miso ginger dressing.
In short, it’s the best thing ever. And if you’re not drooling a little bit after reading that, maybe you’re a bot reading this. But yes, originally the white rice was quinoa, and the sauteed bok choy was a combination of raw greens. I will say, you definitely can still do that with this recipe and it would be great! But what can I say, baser instincts prevailed in this instance…I have included some notes in the recipe around where you can make adjustments, however.
Inspired by a Trip to Hawaii
The dish was inspired by our trip to Hawaii, where at one of the many food trucks, we had a simple platter of rice, salad, and steak bites served with a miso ginger dressing as a dipping sauce.
It was a refreshing and perfectly satisfying combination of umami goodness. To make it a full meal, we made it a little bit more substantial with the sauteed greens, and upped the flavor with the addition of soy sauce and butter in the pan.
The key to this recipe is really knowing how to cook a perfect steak bite. I got some tips from Ree Drummond, cow-cooking queen of Pawhuska, and the results were perfect.
A generous pat of butter browns in the skillet, a drizzle of dark soy sauce creates the start of an excellent sauce, and the steak bites get seared to medium rare perfection!
Steak Bites with Miso Ginger Dressing: Recipe Instructions
First, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Before you cook the beef, prepare your grains and veggies. The beef cooks quickly, so you’ll want everything ready to go. If you’d prefer to have raw veggies, this step is easy. If you’re cooking the veggies, I cooked mine in the pan drippings from the steak––no additional seasoning required!
Cut the steak into 1.5-inch cubes. Season the steak with a small pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. The miso dressing is quite salty, and we’ll be using soy sauce, so use your judgment per your tastes.
Next, heat a skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet.
Next, turn on your ventilation fan; you’ll need it! Brown the butter slightly (this will happen without a problem if your pan is as hot as it should be) and add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce.
Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan. If it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30 to 45 seconds.
You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds––just long enough to sear the outside and make sure you’re getting a perfect medium-rare interior.
Scoop the steak bites and pan drippings out, and then cook the greens in the same pan if desired. To serve, scoop the rice into a bowl, add a handful of steak bites and greens, and drizzle over the ginger miso dressing. Enjoy!
Steak Bites with Miso Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 shallot (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 3 tablespoons fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave
To assemble the bowls:
- Cooked rice (or other grain of choice--quinoa, couscous, or farro would all work great)
- A couple handfuls of bok choy or any leafy vegetable of choice (you can do this cooked or raw!)
- 1 pound steak (ribeye, sirloin, and skirt steak all work well; cut into 1.5 inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- First, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Before you cook the beef, prepare your grains and veggies. The beef cooks quickly, so you’ll want everything ready to go. If you’d prefer to have raw veggies, this step is easy. If you’re cooking the veggies, I cooked mine in the pan drippings from the steak––no additional seasoning required!
- Season the steak with a small pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. The miso dressing is quite salty, and we’ll be using soy sauce, so use your judgment per your tastes.
- Next, heat a skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet
- Next, turn on your ventilation fan; you'll need it! Brown the butter slightly (this will happen without a problem if your pan is as hot as it should be) and add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce.
- Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan. If it doesn't, the pan isn't hot enough. Don't stir or disrupt the meat for 30 to 45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds––just long enough to sear the outside and make sure you’re getting a perfect medium-rare interior.
- Scoop the steak bites and pan drippings out, and then cook the greens in the same pan if desired. To serve, scoop the rice into a bowl, add a handful of steak bites and greens, and drizzle over the ginger miso dressing. Enjoy!
for the dressing , what kinda oil to use ? Would olive oil work ?
Hi Emre, generally any oil you like to use will work. I wouldn’t use your strongly flavored expensive extra virgin olive oils though, for the sake of practicality and as the flavor will be very strong.
Hi there, you don’t say how to cut up the steak.
Thanks!
Hi Chris, sorry I missed your comment, thanks, I’ll update the recipe!
What kind of veggies did you prepare with this steak?
Hi Nichole, I believe it was a large bok choy, the kind you can get at most conventional grocery stores–it’s about a foot tall, with lots of tender white stem. Delicious! Also great chopped up raw in salads. :)
Wow!! Amazing punch of flavours!! Made it last night and the entire family inhaled it. My kids say it is the best steak ever! DH said the sauce reminded him of the yum yum sauce from the hibachi restaurants and he’s right! Will definitely be adding this recipe to our dinner rotation recipes. Thanks again for this delicious recipe!!
Thank you, Yen!! I know we’ve done a good job when the kids give their seal of approval. :)
Is rice vinegar very different from rice wine vinegar? Can I use that instead for this recipe?
Nope, they’re just two different names for the exact same thing, Abi!
Thanks for clarifying, Sarah!
Two more questions: What is the best oil to use in the dressing (the 1/3 cup)? How long would leftover dressing stay good in the fridge?
Hi Abi, a neutral vegetable or canola oil works. You could also use avocado or grapeseed oil. In terms of how long you can keep it, I’d say 4-5 days!
The dressing for this is INCREDIBLE! I used skirt steak since I had intended on making a stirfry prior to seeing this recipe. I added steamed spinach and sauted zucchini, mushrooms, and onions (tender crisp). I added enough dressing to moistened up all the meat, veggies, and rice but added more after a few bites. seriously, i could use this dressing for just about anything… salads, sauted veggies, meat, fish, dipping for shrimp… its so yummy. i hate to say it but i used my finger to make sure i didnt leave any of it in the bowl.
i saw one of your suggestions to use it for a roast beef sandwhich. while i was shoveling food in my face, the flavor reminded me of creamy horseradish. it DOESNT taste like horseradish by any means (i dont like hoseradish) but the raw garlic and ginger gave it a texture similar to creamy horseradish and the garlic and pepper gave it a “spiciness” that i wasnt expecting (again, it wasnt actually spicy). it would definitely be a perfect substitute hoseradish on roast beef… much more flavorful IMO.
Hi Vicki, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my all-time favorites, and the dressing is truly a great all-purpose sauce. :)
Really loved this. Light, fresh and super flavourful.
It’s also great that this recipe manages to provide a great punch without relying on peppers/chilis.
Because I cooked with whatever I had in the house I used:
– lemon and a bit of regular vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar
– baby spinach as the vegetable
– mixed in some chopped spring onions during the last half minute of frying the beef
Thank you for leaving us a comment, so glad you enjoyed it.
I cooked this tonight alongside the basic stir fry bok choy and both are definitely winners. All of your recipes which I have tried are spot on. I’m proud to be a fan.
Hi Audrey, thank you so much for being our fan and writing us a great report card. Happy wokking!
Wow, another delicious and easy recipe. reminds me of the famous teppan style restaurant. I followed the recipe as written using rib eye. I used rib-eye reluctantly thinking I might ruin a perfectly good steak but confident you’re recipe wouldn’t steer me wrong. I trimmed alot of the fat and it was still moist and juicy with a great pan flavoring like a grilled dish. I added a few mushrooms to my mustard greens and cooked them in the pan as suggested. The miso dressing was also delicious, I may use it on fish, chicken or a salad too – soooo good.
I really appreciate the way you guys put in the tips in the story like prepping and making the vege’s first and turn on the fan. Very thoughtful and helpful – Thank You!
Wooo! So glad you liked it–this is one of my favorites from 2018–that miso dressing is dangerous :) Thanks for reading and cookin’!
The sauce is amazing! Any suggestions for other uses for it?
Hi Robyn, so glad you enjoy it! You can definitely use it as a standard salad dressing. I do also wonder how it might do as a chicken marinade for grilled or seared chicken breasts/thighs, but I haven’t yet tried that myself. I’d also give it a whirl as a sandwich spread for something like roast beef, or maybe to add a little excitement to boring turkey. Enjoy! :)