Lacquered Rib Eye

Name: Lacquered Rib Eye
Yield: 2–4 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp. soy sauce; 1 Tbsp. fish sauce; 2 tsp. sugar; 1 garlic clove, crushed; Vegetable oil (for grill); 1 2–2½-lb. bone-in rib eye (about 2" thick), preferably prime or as well-marbled as you can find; Kosher salt; Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling); Flaky sea salt; Lemon wedges (for serving)

By Chris Morocco

June 2, 2020

Photographs by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk

The polar opposite of a marinade, this umami-rich lacquer works all of its savory magic in the final minutes of cooking. The signature piquance of fish sauce in the glaze mellows as it caramelizes on the grill, resulting in a nutty complexity similar to the alluring funk of dry-aged beef. As the steak gets flipped and brushed, that salty-sticky-sweet lacquer hardens in layers to create an über-savory capital-C Crust, an irresistible layer akin to the bark that’s beloved by barbecue enthusiasts.

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