Dinner Tonight - Leftover NY Steak made into a Japanese Steak Dish

This is another of my favorite dishes I like to make with leftovers.  I make it anytime I have leftover steak or Prime Rib.  It's another dish that my mom used to make.  I think though that all the dishes that my mom used to make, I've put in a little bit of my own touches. 

I got the leftovers from our favorite (I have many favorites of everything;o) place to get a NY Steak. It's a neighborhood restaurant called Dan Tana's.  They are a small place that people either love or hate. They may not have the "best" food, but it's solid and we love the Old School ambience, but they seriously have the best NY Strip Steak!   They've been around since 1964.  If you remember the show VEGAS, you may remember the character Dan Tanna, the character was named after the restaurant, not the other way around!  It's also a semi-celebrity hang out.  It's always fun to get a glimpse of a Star! Danny Vito once told me I was gorgeous when we saw him there...lol  It took us about 8 years, but now we are finally considered regulars!

 Daikon Oroshi (Grated Daikon Radish)

I thinly slice the beef and then arrange it on a plate and place Daikon Oroshi, Chopped Green Onion, Ponzu (Citrus) Sauce and a little bit of Soy Sauce for extra saltiness.  Sometimes I will add Yuzu (Citrus) Juice to brighten it up. This is a ceramic grater to make the Daikon Oroshi.  You need to be careful that you don't grate your knuckles when you are at the end;o)

 Ponzu Sauce

I normally don't like the pre-made Ponzu/Soy Sauce combos because they have an artificial flavor to it, but I finally found one I like!  Ponzu is a generic term for a citrus sauce made with vinegar, lemon juice or some other citrus.  This one is made with Sudachi which is a ctirus that looks like a lime.   Then there is Yuzu which is a delicacy and is similar to Sudachi. It is hard to find fresh in the US and when you do, it's pretty expensive.  In the past it was more commonly used for it's zest, but now it is sold as juice.  You can buy small bottles of Yuzu juice without the soy sauce mixed in.  

 Slicing the NY Steak

See how marbled it is...yum!!  The steak stays cold and it is so delicious when you eat it with hot rice!

 Stirring the Miso into the Soup

I made a very simple miso soup tonight.  I just used Dashi Powder instead of making stock with konbu (seaweed) and Katsuobushi (Dried Shaved Bonito Flakes).  I also added a splash of Sake in it.  You bring everything to a boil  and cook the ingredients until it's done then turn down the heat and mix in the miso.  I like to use a strainer, so their aren't small pieces of softened soy bean from the miso.  I'm not sure exactly the reason for it, but you are never supposed to let miso soup boil!

This miso soup has tofu and napa cabbage and it's topped off with chopped green onion and togarashi/hichimi (Japanese Chili Pepper w/7spices)

 Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu)

This was a healthy meal because we split a leftover steak and then had rice & two types of tofu with it.  I love tofu and luckily, Hubby likes it too! Hiyayakko is a very traditional tofu dish.  It just has drained cold tofu, grated ginger, chopped green onion, bonito flakes & soy sauce.  I like med firm tofu, but many people like the soft.  It's all personal preference.

I was in Japan and talking to some friends about tofu and when I told them the tofu we have here lasts for months in the refrigerated package they were a little horrified.   In Japan tofu is such a fresh and perishable product it lasts for only a few days!  I kind of like the fact that I can always have a package of tofu in my refrigerator;o)

 Assembled Togther..

Recently, I was able to try out a new lens my brother got for his camera that takes awesome food shots.   Since I've been so diligent with my new food blog, Hubby bought me the lens too!  It takes beautiful close up shots!  My husband is the best!!  Most of the pictures today are taken with the new camera lens.  I still need a separate camera for the wide shots;o)