Glazed Beef Steak with Sweet-Tangy Ginger Soy Glaze
By Hannah Price
Prep
15 min
Total
45 min
Servings
4
Serve this glazed beef steak when dinner calls for a substantial main course without a long braise. Thick ribeye or sirloin steaks get a deep brown crust, buttery basting, and a sweet-tangy soy, balsamic, garlic, and ginger glaze at the table.
Soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and ginger simmer into the glaze before a cornstarch-and-water slurry gives it a syrupy body. High-quality balsamic provides complex depth in every spoonful. Olive oil handles the high-heat sear, while unsalted butter is spooned over the steaks at medium heat. Use thick, dry steaks and coarse sea salt with freshly cracked black pepper so the pan can build the intended crust.
The skillet should just begin smoking before the steaks go in, and they should remain unmoved for the first 3 to 4 minutes per side. A deep brown surface signals the sear is developing; a crowded pan or wet steak will steam instead. After butter basting, use the stated 130°F/54°C target for medium-rare, brush on glaze, and rest the meat loosely tented for 10 minutes.
Serve slices with garlic Parmesan asparagus, horseradish mashed potatoes, Asian-inspired slaw, or jasmine rice cooked with a bay leaf; rice catches extra glaze. Keep leftover steak and glaze in separate airtight containers. For gentle reheating, thinly slice the steak and warm it in a skillet with beef broth or water.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Works for a weeknight steak dinner because the recipe uses a 15-minute prep and 15-to-20-minute cook, while still including a full resting period.
- Feeds a small table neatly with two thick steaks, and slicing against the grain lets the warm glaze stretch across every serving.
- Steak fans get both a deeply browned exterior and a tender interior because the recipe separates high-heat searing from medium-heat butter basting.
- The sweet-tangy glaze suits family meals because it can be brushed on the steak or drizzled at the table for individual portions.
- Leftover slices stay useful for another meal because the steak and glaze are stored separately, then warmed gently together in a skillet.
- Home cooks can rely on a thermometer for medium-rare because the recipe gives a specific 130°F/54°C target instead of depending only on timing.
Ingredients
- •2 steaks ribeye or sirloin steaks (10-12 oz each, about 1.5 inches thick)
- •0.5 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- •0.25 cup honey or maple syrup
- •2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 inch fresh ginger (grated)
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •2 tbsp unsalted butter
- •coarse sea salt (to taste)
- •freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- •1 tsp cornstarch
- •2 tsp cold water (for cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels.
- 2
Generously season both sides of the steaks with sea salt and black pepper.
- 3
Let the steaks sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- 4
Combine the soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a small saucepan.
- 5
Bring the glaze mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- 6
Simmer the glaze for 5 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- 7
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 minute, until the glaze slightly thickens to a syrup consistency.
- 8
Remove the glaze from the heat and set it aside.
- 9
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke.
- 10
Place the steaks in the hot skillet without crowding them.
- 11
Sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes per side without moving them.
- 12
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan.
- 13
Tilt the pan and continuously baste the steaks with melted butter for 1-2 minutes.
- 14
For medium-rare, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, reaching 130°F/54°C.
- 15
Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and immediately brush half of the glaze over the hot steaks.
- 16
Tent the steaks loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
- 17
Slice the steaks against the grain and drizzle with the remaining warm glaze before serving.
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