Feral Cooks

Good food shouldn't be tame

Japanese Sweet-Glazed Ribeye

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This is a basic beef dish commonly known as “teriyaki,” which means “glazed, fried” in Japanese. In this case, it’s glazed and pan-fried steak. The teriyaki sauce imparts a sweet-salty flavor that’s very distinctive.

Be sure to use a high-quality piece of meat for this dish. Many cooks prefer to use a strip steak, but some, like me, prefer a more marbled ribeye cut.

Note that you can use this basic teriyaki sauce for most types of meat.

What you’ll need (for up to 3 steaks)

  • 0.5 cups soy sauce
  • 0.5 cups sake
  • 0.25 cups mirin
  • 0.25 cups sugar
  • 0.5 grated apple
  • However many steaks you’re making—at room temperature

Here are two ways to make this:

Traditional Version

What to do

Mix the liquids until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Make sure each side of your steaks are dry.

Heat a heavy-bottomed fry pan (cast iron, if possible) over medium-high heat. As it’s heating add some oil to the pan to coat the bottom. Heat the pan to about 450 – 500 degrees F, or until the oil begins to smoke. Add the steak(s) to the pan and let them cook for about 2.5 minutes on each side.

This next step will make a big mess, so if you have a screen to cover the pan, have it ready. Pour enough teriyaki sauce to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Add the grated apple to the pan, too. At this point, the sauce will really bubble and splatter. Let the steaks cook in the sauce for about 2 minutes before turning them over for another two minutes. Spoon the grated apple over the steaks after you turn them.

Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 8 minutes with foil loosely tented over them. 

Slice the steaks into strips and serve with the extra teriyaki sauce, if you wish.

Sous Vid Version (I like this better because you can precisely control the steak’s doneness)

Mix the liquids until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Cook the steaks in a sous vide bath for about 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on their thickness. Cook at 120 degrees for rare and up to 140 degrees for medium.

When the steaks are cooked, remove them from the sous vide bags and dry them off.

Heat a heavy-bottomed fry pan (cast iron, if possible) over medium-high heat. As it’s heating add some oil to the pan to coat the bottom. Heat the pan to about 450 – 500 degrees F, or until the oil begins to smoke. Add the steak(s) to the pan and let them cook for about 1 minute on each side.

This next step will make a big mess, so if you have a screen to cover the pan, have it ready. Pour enough teriyaki sauce to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Add the grated apple to the pan, too. At this point, the sauce will really bubble and splatter. Let the steaks cook in the sauce for about 30 – 60 seconds before turning them over for another 30 – 60 seconds. Spoon the grated apple over the steaks after you turn them.

Remove the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 8 minutes with foil loosely tented over them. 

Slice the steaks into strips and serve with the extra teriyaki sauce, if you wish.

Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat

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First post of 2025. Happy New Year!

I’ve never had the “real” Panda Express orange chicken, but I’m sure the chicken is pre-battered and frozen and the sauce comes out of a 5-gallon bucket. Such is the necessary way of fast food. I’m also sure that it tastes really good.

So, having nothing to compare this recipe to, I will say that it’s really good. The batter is a little weird, but it does make for good chicken. The sauce is really good, too.

It’s a long list of ingredients, but overall, this recipe is worth the time you need to invest. Note that this makes a ton of chicken. You could probably get away with making a half-batch if you’re feeding 2 or 3 people.

This recipe was posted at Allrecipes.

What you’ll need

  • 2 cups flour
  • 0.5 cups cornstarch
  • 2t salt
  • 0.5t white pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup water
  • 2T neutral oil, divided, plus more for frying
  • 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 1T sesame oil, divided
  • 0.25t crushed red pepper
  • 2t minced ginger
  • 2t minced garlic
  • 0.25 cups brown sugar
  • 0.25 cups orange juice
  • 1t orange zest
  • 0.25 cups white vinegar
  • 2T soy sauce
  • 2T cornstarch
  • Neutral oil for frying
  • sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

What to do

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper in a large bowl. Add the egg, water, and 1.5T oil and stir to combine. The mixture will turn into a sticky batter. Add the chicken pieces to the batter and toss well to coat. Put the chicken in the refrigerator while you make the sauce and begin heating the oil.

Pour the oil into a deep saucepan filled about 2 inches deep. Begin heating the oil to 375 F. degrees.

To make the sauce, heat the remaining 0.5T oil and 2t teaspoons sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed red pepper, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, and soy sauce and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often.

Combine 3T cold water with the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Turn the heat off and keep warm while the chicken is cooking.

When the oil has reached 375 degrees F., working in batches, carefully add some coated chicken pieces to the hot oil—don’t crowd the pan. The oil temperature will reduce when the chicken is added, so cook the chicken at 350 degrees F., stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy—about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon or wire spider and drain on a wire rack set over paper towels. Bring the oil temperature back up to 375 degrees F. and repeat process with the remaining chicken. You may have to make up to four batches, depending on the size of the cooking vessel and how much oil you use.

When the chicken is all cooked, there are two things you can do with the sauce: 1) reheat it and add the cooked chicken to the frypan, tossing it and coating it all with the sauce, or 2) reheat it and pour the sauce over the cooked chicken in its serving dish. With either method, top with optional green onions and sesame seeds before serving hot.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

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They’re good, but they like to crumble when cut.


This is a really easy bar recipe that doesn’t even require baking.

This recipe includes peanut butter and an enormous amount of sugar, so you know it’s going to be delicious. Come to think of it, adding a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup somewhere in the recipe wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Found this on the Kitchn website.

What you’ll need

  • 8T (1 stick) salted butter
  • 1 cup plus 2T creamy peanut butter, divided (not sure why chunky wouldn’t work, too)
  • 4 oz. graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Flaky salt for topping (optional)

What to do

Line the bottom and two opposite sides of an 8 x 8- or 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper long enough so it hangs off the sides to form a sling.

Melt the butter in a large bowl by putting it in the microwave for up to a minute. Once it’s melted, add 1 cup of the peanut better, stirring to combine. Now stir in the powdered sugar, again mixing till combined. Last, add the crushed graham crackers and mix them in evenly throughout the mixture.

Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and press into an even layer, using your fingers or a spatula.

Now for the chocolate topping. Add the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl, along with the remaining 2T of peanut butter. Microwave on high for about 20 or so seconds until the chocolate starts to melt. Stop and mix the peanut butter and chocolate, resuming the microwave until the mixture is nearly melted—about 20. Ore seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir until the residual heat has completely melted all the chocolate.

Spread the chocolate over the top of the bars as evenly as possible. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.

To cut, remove the entire sheet from the pan and cut to your preferred size.