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Pan Seared Steak Smoky Miso Butter Watercress Salad

In this recipe, big bold flavor is introduced only after cooking—we dot the just-cooked steaks with a compound butter made by mashing softened butter with miso, dry mustard and smoked paprika. As the meat rests, the juices mingle with the melting butter, creating a luscious, umami-rich sauce. Rather than serve the steaks as large hunks of meat, we slice and serve them on a salad of peppery watercress tossed with sesame seeds, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
Servings: 4
Author: Milk Street

Ingredients

Compound butter:

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon white miso or red miso
  • ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar

Steaks:

  • 2 1-pound strip steaks each about 1 inch thick, trimmed and patted dry
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other neutral oil

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted

Salad:

  • 2 bunches watercress trimmed of tough stems, cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced on the diagonal

Instructions

Mix the compound butter:

  • In a small bowl, mash together the butter, miso, mustard powder, paprika and the ½ teaspoon vinegar; set aside.

Cook the steaks:

  • Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking.
  • Add the steaks, reduce to medium and cook until well browned on the bottoms, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Flip the steaks and cook until the second sides are well browned and the centers register 120°F for medium-rare, another 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Transfer to a large plate, dot with the miso butter and tent with foil. Lest rest for 10 minutes.

Make the salad:

  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the ¼ cup vinegar, the soy sauce and sesame seeds.
  • Add the watercress and scallions; toss to coat.
  • Place the salad on a large serving platter.

Finish and serve:

  • Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and slice them ¼ to ½ inch thick against the grain and on the diagonal.
  • Arrange the slices on the salad, then drizzle on the accumulated juices.

Notes

  • Don’t forget to reduce the heat to medium after adding the steaks to the skillet. This gentler heat ensures the steaks cook more evenly, so the edges aren’t overdone by the time the centers are at the right degree of doneness.
  • Also, don’t shortcut the steaks’ resting time. As they rest, the meat finishes cooking with residual heat and the juices will redistribute throughout the muscle fibers instead of flow out onto the cutting board during carving.
  • Note that the recipe calls for seasoned rice vinegar. If you have only regular rice vinegar, in the butter mixture, use an equal amount along with a pinch of white sugar; in the dressing, use 3½ tablespoons vinegar and ½ teaspoon white sugar, then season to taste with salt.