INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
1 (12-ounce) filet of beef
4 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup prepared wasabi
1 1/2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves, for garnish
Rice crackers, wheat crackers or 1 loaf of French bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick and toasted
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a loaf pan, preferably glass, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the lime juice. Mix well, add the filet, and roll the meat two or three times to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or at room temperature for 1 hour. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese and the wasabi in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place a large, nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Add the beef and sear, turning every few minutes to prevent it from burning. Sear for 12 minutes for rare, or for 15 to 17 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the heat to a cutting board and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
For dinner-party-style seared beef:
4. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on a bed of cilantro both for color and for soaking up the juices from the meat, and place crackers alongside in a loose pile. Spoon the wasabi cream cheese onto a shallow vessel using the three-spoon snowman-style technique (see Style Secret below).
For cocktail-party-chic seared beef:
4. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and cut to fit on top of the crackers. Using a teaspoon, top with a dollop of the wasabi cream cheese and garnish with a single cilantro leaf. Arrange on a tropical leaf for an exotic presentation. If you want to pass the hors d'oeuvres, slide the leaf onto a tray. Ask your florist which leaves are non-poisonous, and always wash leaves well.
Style Secret: To create a "soft-serve" look to whipped cream, sour cream or almost any semi-stiff dips or toppings, stack it into three parts, like a snowman. Spoon just less than two thirds of the mixture onto the surface for the base (the legs of the snowman); follow with a scant one third for the body, and the tiny bit remaining for the head. This looks similar to the Cool Whip ads.
