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Minute Steaks with Oyster Sauce and Scallions

By Kelly Song

Published on April 30, 2024

Time

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Minute Steaks with Oyster Sauce and Scallions

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) top-round steaks, trimmed¼ cup water 1 teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided4 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1½-inch pieces1 cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Before You Begin

If you can’t find individual top-round steaks, you can cut them from a top-round roast or substitute bottom-round or eye-round steaks. You can measure and prep the gravy ingredients while the steaks are sitting in the solution in step 1.

Instructions

  1. Using meat pounder, pound steaks to even ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Whisk water, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl until salt and baking soda are dissolved. Add steaks and toss in water mixture until coated and no liquid pools at bottom of bowl, about 30 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  2. Pat steaks dry with paper towels (do not rinse steaks before drying). Spread ½ cup flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 steak at a time, dredge steaks in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer steaks to platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
  3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 2 steaks and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer steaks to prepared rack and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with 1½ tablespoons oil and remaining 2 steaks.
  4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in scallion whites and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ginger, scraping up any browned bits, and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in scallion greens. Transfer steaks to serving platter or individual dishes and spoon sauce over steaks. Serve.
Minute Steaks with Oyster Sauce and Scallions
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Minute Steaks with Oyster Sauce and Scallions

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Time

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) top-round steaks, trimmed
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) top-round steaks, trimmed
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) top-round steaks, trimmed
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

These thinly pounded steaks smothered in a rich, flavorful sauce are pantry-friendly and quick to come together. Minute-steak recipes originally used high-quality cuts of beef (most commonly sirloin) that were hand-pounded and flash-seared in a hot skillet. In some cases, the dish has evolved to include more affordable cuts of beef; here we prefer top round, bottom round, or eye round. We found that soaking the pounded steaks in a simple baking soda solution allowed these cuts of beef to remain succulent and tender after searing. We patted the soaked steaks dry and coated them in flour, which helped absorb excess liquid and promote additional browning while searing. True to their name, the steaks cooked through in 1 minute per side, developing a golden-brown exterior and tender interior. After setting the steaks aside to rest, we built a sauce directly in the same pan. We drew inspiration from the flavors of beef stir-fries, which commonly rely on similar cuts of thinly sliced beef. For a rich, savory sauce, we combined soy sauce, grated ginger, and chicken broth and stirred in scallions for a fresh finish.

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Before You Begin

If you can’t find individual top-round steaks, you can cut them from a top-round roast or substitute bottom-round or eye-round steaks. You can measure and prep the gravy ingredients while the steaks are sitting in the solution in step 1.

Instructions

  1. Using meat pounder, pound steaks to even ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Whisk water, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl until salt and baking soda are dissolved. Add steaks and toss in water mixture until coated and no liquid pools at bottom of bowl, about 30 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  2. Pat steaks dry with paper towels (do not rinse steaks before drying). Spread ½ cup flour in shallow dish. Working with 1 steak at a time, dredge steaks in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer steaks to platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
  3. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 2 steaks and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer steaks to prepared rack and tent with aluminum foil. Repeat with 1½ tablespoons oil and remaining 2 steaks.
  4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in scallion whites and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ginger, scraping up any browned bits, and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in scallion greens. Transfer steaks to serving platter or individual dishes and spoon sauce over steaks. Serve.

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