Nikkei Steak Sando

The word Nikkei refers to a Japanese emigrant or a descendant thereof who is not a citizen of Japan. Commonly used in Japan to refer to people of Japanese ancestry that are living abroad as citizens of other countries.  Peru holds one of the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, all due to the en masse immigration that occurred in the early 1900s, when the Empire of Japan chose Peru as a destination for its citizens during the Meiji period (1868-1912) since that country was the first in Latin America to enter into diplomatic relations with the Asian nation.  Upon arrival, they began cooking Japanese food with the Peruvian ingredients that were available to them, creating dishes that married the simplicity and precision of Japanese culinary techniques with the Andean tubers, chilies, and fresh seafood of Peru.

Our Nikkei Seasoning Salt is a reflection of the influence that the Japanese had in Peruvian cooking, and here we apply it to delicious prime sirloin steak to make a sandwich.  We add grilled onions as they are a popular accompaniment to many dishes in Japan but we season them with Criolla Seasoning Salt, to give them a Peruvian twist.  Lastly we use Acebichada Seasoning Salt to make a tangy and savory mayo to add a little zing and balance the umami rich steak in this recipe, Peruvians love acidity in their food.

The steak will taste its best if you let it "cure" for a couple of hours in the Nikkei Seasoning Salt.

Ingredients

8 oz prime sirloin steak (or the steak of your choice)

red onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick

mayonnaise

Hawaiian rolls (or the sandwich roll of your choice)

Nikkei Seasoning Salt

Criolla Seasoning Salt

Acebichada Seasoning Salt

Instructions

For the steak:

Season the steak liberally on all sides with Nikkei Seasoning Salt, let sit for a couple of hours.

After the steak has "cured", heat up a pan to medium high heat and sear on all sides to desired doneness (I suggest cooking it to medium rare for the most delicious and juiciest steak), then let it rest for 10 minutes then slice.

For the grilled onions:

Heat up a pan to high heat, add a little olive oil to the pan, and stir fry until slightly charred (but not burnt), then season with Criolla Seasoning Salt (about a teaspoon).  Remove from the pan and set aside.

For the acebichada mayonnaise:

Measure 1 cup of mayonnaise, and add 2 tablespoons of Acebichada Seasoning Salt.  Mix thoroughly to combine.  Set aside.

To build the sandwich, slice roll lengthwise in half.  Spread acebichada mayonnaise on the inside of both pieces.  Place a few slices of Nikkei steak on the bottom piece, then follow with some of the Criolla grilled onions.  Put the top piece of the roll on top, and enjoy your Nikkei Steak Sando!!