Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso

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Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama give tender, marbled grilled Wagyu a hit of savory, lightly sweet flavor from the roasted fig miso sauce. Use leftover sauce to slather on ribs before grilling. If fresh figs are not available, use frozen figs rather than dried. Just make sure to thaw them beforehand for the best texture.

By
Niki Nakayama
Niki Nakayama
Niki Nakayama

Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink Japan’s tradition of kaiseki cuisine is many things: exacting, beautiful, intensely seasonal, ritualistically structured—and rarely if ever welcoming to women chefs. That hasn’t stopped Los Angeles-based Niki Nakayama, who initially gained acclaim as a sushi chef (a world resistant to women in itself), and whose third restaurant is the wildly praised, kaiseki-focused n/naka (well documented on season 1 of Chef’s Table on Netflix). Twenty years of training—several at Japan’s renowned Shirakawa-ya Ryokan—and planning went into n/naka, somehing that clearly shows in the exquisite thirteen-course meals Nakayama serves there. Driven by what she grows in her own garden (cultivated together with the urban-farming group Farmscape) and what she sources from local foragers, Nakayama’s ever-changing menus take kaiseki’s rigorous traditions seriously, but also bring her own interpretation of its sensibilities to the table as well. That might mean something as simple as using locally grown black mustard flowers as a stand-in for wasabi, or as complex as an exotic, aromatic dish of delicate spaghettini with black abalone, pickled cod roe, and summer truffles; but no matter what, on every plate Nakayama's work is extraordinary.

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
and Carole Iida-Nakayama
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
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Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye
Photo: Eva Kolenko
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 6 large fresh black Mission figs (about 12 ounces)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped leeks or scallions (white and light green parts only)

  • 2 tablespoons sake

  • 2 tablespoons mirin

  • 1/2 cup red miso

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1 (12-ounce) boneless Wagyu rib eye steak

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss together figs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until figs are slightly caramelized and soft, about 20 minutes.

  2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Add chopped leeks, and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add sake and mirin, and cook, stirring often, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in miso, and cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens and darkens in color, about 5 minutes. Remove miso mixture from heat.

  3. Using a fork, break cooked figs apart, removing stems. Combine figs, miso mixture, and balsamic vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth, about 20 times. Set aside.

  4. Preheat grill to very high (550°F to 600°F). Season rib eye with pepper and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Place on oiled grates; grill, covered, until a meat thermometer registers 130°F, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill, and let rest 5 minutes. While steak rests, heat fig miso over low. Slice beef, and serve with fig miso.

Make Ahead

Fig miso may be made up to 3 weeks ahead. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Suggested Pairing

Complex, savory rosé.

Originally appeared: September 2019

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