A “no recipe” recipe: Wagyu over Crispy rice, gochujang glazed Squash, chili-tomato broth

One of my favorite cookbooks is the New York Times No Recipe Cookbook. Aside from the New York Times being my right-hand man when it comes to recipes on the web (literally, not one has ever failed me), this cookbook in particular is a cool concept and an amazing guide for cooks of all calibers. Some might think it’s directed at more seasoned cooks since there are no measurements, but I actually think it’s a great teaching cookbook by urging cooks to follow their instincts in the kitchen. After cooking a few recipes — and maybe overcoming a few trials and errors — I’m willing to bet you’ll be able to cook any meal just by using your intuition.

Inspired by this cookbook, I thought I’d post some of my own “no recipe” recipes. In all honesty, I don’t post a lot of the recipes I make for myself because I am the worst at remembering to measure, and I never want to lead anyone astray. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share more of the recipes and meals I make for myself throughout the week this way.

I swear these recipes will be simpler and require fewer ingredients (just as the cookbook does) in the future. I’m starting off with a banger simply because I thought this meal was deserving of a spotlight, but I neglected to take any measurements while cooking it… alas, here we are. However, this meal can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. I’ll break it down below.

I was gifted some beautiful Japanese wagyu from The Hyun, an upscale butcher shop in New York from the same team behind the Korean barbecue spot Hyun. Their wagyu knuckle was what I crafted this recipe around — that and whatever ingredients I could find in my pantry and fridge at the time! This was my first time working with A5 wagyu, and I have to admit, I learned that nothing beats a buttery piece of wagyu over crispy rice, especially in this application. If I were to make this again using steak for a more accessible option, however, a filet or strip steak would work great. If you do live in the NY area and ever want to treat yourself to some melt-in-your-mouth wagyu, I highly recommend a trip to The Hyun!

Wagyu over Crispy Rice, Gochujang Glazed SQUASH, and Chili-Tomato Broth

For the chili-tomato broth:

• Tomato paste

• Tomatoes, like Roma or beefsteak — cut into quarters

• Water or veg stock, 1 cup per serving for this recipe — make a larger batch to keep on hand to use in tomato soup, stews, ramen broth, etc.

• Any vegetable scrap you have on hand or from above

• Garlic cloves, smashed

• Thai chilis, dried chilis, or any spicy chilis you have on hand — as many as you like it hot

• Soy

• Rice wine vinegar

• Salt

The tomato broth is definitely the most ingredient-heavy part of this recipe, but it’s also the most adaptable. You’re really just making a seasoned veg stock. You can use veg stock as the base for reinforced flavor if you don’t have a lot of veg scrap, or use water if you have a lot of veg scrap (or do both!) The size of the batch you’re making and the pot you’re using will determine the amount of veg and liquid you’re going to need. I usually put all my vegetables and scrap (this could be onion/garlic peel and scrap, the tops of peppers, bottoms of celery, carrot tops or peels, etc.) in the pot and cover it all with water until it’s about 1-2 inches above the vegetables. You can also follow the rule of 1 quart of water for every 1 pound of vegetables. Use more tomatoes than any other vegetables to create a red hue and stronger tomato flavor. Be cautious of using too many green, brown, or purple/blue vegetables as it will make the color of the broth murky.

1. Cut all veg to be around the same size, aside from the chilis which will most likely be naturally smaller in size

2. Place in a pot with cold water (or veg stock) to cover the vegetables and an inch or so more

3. Simmer uncovered until the vegetable flavor is to your liking (about 30 min-1 hr)

4. Halfway through, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to enforce the tomato flavor

5. Strain

6. Season with salt, rice wine vinegar, and soy to your liking (note that adding lots of soy will change the color — try using light soy if you have it on hand)

Serve warm.

For the gochujang glazed veg:

• Vegetables of your choice — I used baby squash I had on hand, but you could use any vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms would be great)

• Gochujang paste or other chili paste (sriracha, sambal, etc.)

• Sesame oil

• Neutral oil

• Salt and pepper

1. Heat a sauté pan with part sesame oil and part neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

2. Sear your vegetables of choice until golden and tender. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once almost done cooking, brush with gochujang or chili paste of choice while still in the pan. Once the glaze is sticky and starts to brown, remove from the pan and set aside until ready to serve.

For the wagyu/steak:

• Steak, cut of your choice - I recommend strip or filet for this application

• Salt and black pepper

• Olive oil or neutral oil of choice

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

  2. Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan with oil to coat the bottom of the pan on high heat.

  3. Pat the steak dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.

  4. Sear on high on both sides until browned.

  5. Finish cooking in the oven to reach your desired temperature, if needed. You probably won’t need to for a thinner cut like a strip steak.

  6. Let rest before slicing thinly — fry the crispy rice and reheat your broth in the meantime.

For the crispy rice:

• Freshly cooked or leftover white rice

• Rice wine vinegar

• Mirin (sub with more rice wine vinegar and a little bit of white sugar)

• Salt

• Canola oil, or other neutral oil

1. If using freshly cooked rice, mix in a little bit of rice wine vinegar and mirin while the rice is still hot. If using leftover rice, heat the rice wine vinegar with the sugar or mirin before mixing it into the cold rice. Season with salt to taste. The rice wine vinegar and mirin act as binders to create stickier rice, but also season the rice. A little bit goes a long way.

2. Once cooled, form the rice into a tight square about 1-1.5 inches thick on parchment paper.

3. Chill in the freezer until very cold and firm, but not fully frozen (about 15-20 minutes).

4. Cut into rectangles.

   At this point, cook the steak and vegetables first before frying the rice.

5. When ready to serve, heat a pot or deep skillet with at least 1 inch of oil over medium-high heat.

6. Fry the rice on each side until golden brown.

7. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

Extra ingredients or garnish:

• Scallion greens, thinly sliced

• Sesame oil

To serve: Place the thinly sliced steak over the crispy rice. Serve your vegetables on the side or next to the rice. Pour a small ladle of the chili-tomato broth around the rice. Garnish with scallions and a couple of drops of sesame oil in the broth.