Tempurra! Tempurra!
Purple Cauliflower and Green Bean Tempura with Ribeye Tataki and Udon, Served with Ponzu-Daikon Dipping Sauce
50 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerJapaneseDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-free
Herb's take
Japanese technique meets steakhouse swagger in this dinner where crispy vegetable tempura cozies up to seared ribeye tataki. You’ll master tempura batter, perfect the quick sear for rare beef, and whip up a punchy, citrusy dipping sauce, your stovetop will feel like a Tokyo izakaya.
Equipment needed
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Wire rack
- Dutch oven or heavy deep pot
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the udon noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- 02Pat the ribeye steaks very dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature while you prep the veg.
- 03In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, yuzu juice, mirin, rice vinegar, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and let cool completely.
- 04In a medium bowl, gently whisk together eggs and ice water. Sift in 1 cup flour and the cornstarch, stirring briefly until just combined. The batter should be lumpy.
- 05Toss the cauliflower florets, green beans, and onion rings in the remaining 1/4 cup flour to lightly coat.
- 06Heat the neutral oil in a Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot to 350°F. Working in batches, dip the floured vegetables in tempura batter and fry until pale golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- 07While the oil returns to temp between batches, grate the daikon and squeeze out some excess moisture. Stir into the cooled ponzu sauce.
- 08Wipe out a skillet and heat 2 tbsp neutral oil over high until just smoking. Sear ribeye steaks for 45–60 seconds per side, turning once, so the outside browns but the inside stays rare. Immediately transfer to a plate.
- 09Let the steaks rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
- 10To assemble, twirl udon noodles onto each plate. Arrange tempura vegetables and slices of ribeye tataki alongside. Garnish with scallions.
- 11Serve with individual bowls of the ponzu-daikon dipping sauce for dunking everything.
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