The Hot Drink You Should Really Be Using To Season Your Steak

No matter what cut of steak you're preparing, it's a luxurious protein that speaks for itself flavor-wise. However, a simple salt and pepper dusting before a sear doesn't have to be the only seasoning to help the flavor of the steak shine. The secret seasoning weapon your steak really needs is matcha green tea. We aren't telling you to literally pour the hot, cozy drink you normally make out of matcha over a steak, but instead to use the powder like you would a spice in a dry rub or marinade for your next steak dinner.

Japan is the biggest producer of matcha and perhaps the largest consumer of this unique ground powder form of green tea. It's fitting that then, that matcha's grassy, bitter, and savory profile is an umami powerhouse. Umami, the fifth taste founded by Japanese scientists, comes in many forms, from the funk of fermented soybeans to the earthy taste of mushrooms. Steak's savoriness is yet another example of umami, which the matcha will only enhance. The tasting notes of matcha won't interfere with the taste of your steak, but will work collectively to give it a meaty boost that you can't quite put your finger on. It's akin to the many ways you can use MSG to make already umami-rich foods like tomato sauce and miso soup even more savory.

Matcha is already conveniently in powder form, so you can use it to rub over steak before you sear or grill it. But, matcha will also dissolve into a marinade as easily as it dissolves into hot water. Just as you'd look for the highest quality cut of meat, it's also important to choose pure, organic matcha like this Japanese brand. No matter which avenue you choose, salt has to be a part of the equation. Salt will bring out the flavors in both the meat and the matcha. You could even make matcha salt by blending a teaspoon of matcha powder into one tablespoon of coarse sea salt. The matcha will magically bond to the flakes of salt as effortlessly as it infuses water or milk.

You can generously sprinkle matcha salt and coarse black pepper over a tender cut like filet mignon or tenderloin before searing it. You can also complement the grassy and bitter notes in the matcha with savory aromatics like garlic powder and citrus like a lemon peel powder. If you're using a tougher cut, you can marinate it for a few hours to overnight in a brine or acidic marinade. You can use other umami-rich ingredients in your marinade like soy sauce or gluten-free tamari. Lemongrass, ginger, and scallions would bring a trifecta of aromatic upgrades that'll also give your steak an Asian twist. You could even spike a steak garnish or sauce with a dash of matcha.