Asian Glazed Steaks with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

The Cheesecake Factory has an entree that involves steak and wasabi mashed potatoes. My husband ordered it once and it was actually pretty good… but I’m not a fan of the hour wait and $30 price tag that comes with eating at CF (I also try to avoid chain restaurants). He’s been begging to go back so he could get it again, but I really haven’t been feeling it. So instead, I decided to play with the idea at home.

The potatoes were good, but the glaze on the steaks totally stole the show. I was literally licking my fingers, my plate, and everything else that came into contact with it so not even a drop would go to waste. I used hoisin as the base, and the sugars in it caramelized a little on the grill. This sweetness was the perfect background to the punch of flavor that came from ginger and red peppers. I think this glaze would also be perfect on chicken or tofu. Or really, on just about anything.

I served this with grilled asparagus tossed with a touch of olive oil and a little sea salt. Ignore the mushrooms. they were burnt, woody, and gross. I apparently do not know how to cook shitakes. If you do, I bet they would be good with this too.

Asian Glazed Steak

• 4 4-ounce steaks, trimmed of fat
• 4 tsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 Tbs crushed red pepper

Set steaks in a dish. Smear each steak all over with about 1 tsp hoisin. Add some soy sauce- just enough to thin the hoisin out a bit (about 2 tsp should do). Spread each steak with plenty of grated ginger and sprinkle generously with crushed red pepper. Let these sit for a few minutes while the grill heats, then grill them until they reach your desired level on doneness- for these I recommend about a medium.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

• 2 large white potatoes, cubed (leave the skin on- it contains a ton of nutrients, and is so thin you won’t even notice it in the final product)
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• generous splash of milk
• wasabi powder to taste, about 2 Tbs
• cracked black pepper

Boil potatoes in a large pot until they are tender. Drain. Mash with a potato masher. Add milk and sour cream, and continue to mash until they reach your desired consistency (I like to keep mine a little lumpy). Add wasabi powder a little bit at a time, stirring well to incorporate. Serve potatoes topped with cracked black pepper.