Over the course of a month or so, I have been on a quest to find the best cut of meat for my teriyaki meat sticks. I first tried ribeye which turned out to be just fine but not exactly what I was hoping for. The next time I bought thinly sliced “teriyaki style” meat from my local market. The thin slices of meat caught my attention but as it turned out, they use round steak which is generally quite tough. I asked the butcher for his suggestion and tri-tip was his recommendation. Stan kindly offered to slice the meat for me so we made a plan. I would pick up the meat the following day so he would have the chance to freeze the meat for a bit which makes it much easier to slice in to thin strips.
Stan was absolutely correct. The trip-tip was tender and flavorful. I appreciated that he offered to slice the meat for me which saved me some time. It’s fairly easy to slice the meat at home once you freeze it for about an hour to firm up. All you need is a steady hand and a good knife.
The teriyaki sauce smells divine. The secret ingredient in the sauce is Sherry. Look for a decent dry or medium Sherry (from Spain=the real deal) if possible.
Leftover meat sticks makes a tasty lunch the following day. I wrap them in foil and heat in the toaster oven for a 5 minutes. Serve with kimchi and mac salad.
- 1 pound tri-tip, sliced into strips that are ⅛-inch thick and 1-inch wide
- 14 bamboo skewers
- Teriyaki Sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
- 2 tablespoons sherry (Hartley & Gibson's Amontillado Medium Sherry recommended)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- roasted sesame seeds to finish (optional)
- Note: If you want extra sauce to drizzle over the cooked meat sticks increase recipe by half. Use ½ cup + 3 tablespoons of sauce to marinate meat strips. Reduce the remainder of the sauce in a small saucepan over very low heat (or sauce will burn) until slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes or so. Brush or drizzle the sauce over the cooked meat sticks before serving.
- Soak 14 bamboo skewers in water while you prepare the sauce and meat sticks
- Combine sugar, soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in oil, garlic and green onions. Set aside.
- Slice tri-tip in to ⅛-inch thick and 1-inch wide strips. Place in medium-sized bowl and pour in teriyaki sauce. Toss meat in sauce, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (no longer or meat will be too salty), turning meat in marinade occasionally. Thread beef strips weaving back and forth, onto soaked bamboo skewers.
- Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high to high heat. Clean and oil grill grates. Place meat sticks on grates and cook, turning several times to ensure they are nicely charred. Cooking time is about 3-4 minutes total on a hot grill.