Hibachi-style cooking on the outdoor flattop griddle — steak for the meat eaters, tofu for the vegetarian, with fried rice and griddled vegetables. Everything cooks in zones on the same surface.

Ingredients

Proteins (split)

• 1 lb sirloin steak or ribeye, cut into ¾" cubes (meat portion)
• 14 oz block firm tofu, pressed and cubed (vegetarian portion)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (for marinade)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil (for marinade)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil (for cooking)
• Salt and pepper

Hibachi Fried Rice

• 4 cups cooked white rice, day-old or chilled (cook 1½ cups dry rice)
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 scallions, sliced (whites + greens, separated)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• ½ cup frozen peas + carrots (optional)

Yum Yum Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp melted butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp water (to thin)

Instructions

Prep (do ahead)

1. Press tofu: Wrap tofu in towel, weight with a heavy pan, drain 20–30 minutes, then cube.
2. Marinade: Toss tofu cubes with 1 tbsp soy + ½ tbsp sesame oil. Toss steak cubes with remaining 1 tbsp soy + ½ tbsp sesame oil. Let sit 15 minutes.
3. Make Yum Yum: Whisk all yum yum ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate (best after 30+ min).
4. Make Ginger Sauce: Combine all ingredients, set aside.
5. Cook rice ahead if not using leftover — spread on a sheet pan to chill so it fries up properly.

On the Flattop (high heat)

Set up zones: one side hottest for proteins, middle for veg, cooler side for rice.

1. Veggies first (5–7 min): Drizzle oil on griddle, add onions, mushrooms, zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with butter and soy sauce as they cook. Squeeze lemon over at the end. Move to a warm zone or off griddle.

2. Tofu (4–5 min): Sear tofu cubes in oil, getting a golden crust on multiple sides. Drizzle with extra soy at the end. Move to plate.

3. Steak (3–4 min): Sear steak cubes hot and fast. Don't crowd. Get a brown crust, keep medium-rare to medium inside. Move to plate.

4. Fried Rice (6–8 min):

   • Push to cooler zone. Melt 1 tbsp butter, sauté diced onion until translucent.
   • Push aside, melt another tbsp butter, scramble eggs, then chop them into the onion.
   • Add cold rice, break up clumps, spread thin to crisp.
   • Drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining butter. Stir in scallion whites + peas/carrots if using.
   • Toss everything together until hot and slightly crispy.
   • Top with scallion greens.

Serve

• Plate fried rice as the base.
• Add hibachi veggies alongside.
• Top with tofu (vegetarian plates) or steak (meat plates).
• Drizzle with yum yum and ginger sauce, or serve sauces on the side for dipping.

Notes

• Kid version: Plain rice + plain griddled veggies (no soy) + a few tofu or steak pieces. Yum yum sauce on the side — kids love it.
• Wife's portion: Tofu + veggies + rice is a complete vegetarian meal as-is.
• Day-old rice is critical: Fresh rice gets gummy. Cook a day ahead or chill on a sheet pan for 30+ minutes.
• Flattop hot: Get the griddle ripping hot before starting — that's where the hibachi flavor comes from.
• Order matters: Veggies → tofu → steak → rice keeps cleanest flavors on the griddle.

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Hibachi Flattop Night — Party Scale (Serves 10: 6 adults + 4 kids)

Steak-only version (no tofu) for a crowd of 5 meat-eating adults, 1 vegetarian adult, and 4 kids. No griddle veggies — served with store-bought potstickers + spring rolls on the side. The fried rice is meat-free, so it covers the vegetarian along with the dumplings/rolls.

Ingredients

Proteins (steak only)

• 24 oz sirloin cap, cut into ¾" cubes (the star — keep cubes slightly larger, cook medium-rare)
• 18 oz beef steak, cut into ¾" cubes
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (for marinade)
• 1½ tbsp sesame oil (for marinade)
• 3 tbsp avocado oil (for cooking)
• Salt and pepper

Hibachi Fried Rice

• ~10–11 cups cooked white rice, day-old or chilled (cook 4 cups dry rice)
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 6 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 8–10 scallions, sliced (whites + greens, separated)
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
• 1¼ cups frozen peas + carrots (optional)

Yum Yum Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water (to thin)

Sides (store-bought, cooked separately)

• Potstickers
• Spring rolls

Instructions

Prep (do ahead)

1. Cook rice a day ahead (or at least chill on sheet pans 30+ min) — critical so it fries up instead of going gummy.
2. Marinade: Toss both steaks together with 3 tbsp soy + 1½ tbsp sesame oil. Let sit 15 minutes. Salt and pepper at the griddle.
3. Make Yum Yum: Whisk all yum yum ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate (best after 30+ min).

On the Flattop (high heat)

Set up zones: one side hottest for steak, cooler side for rice. Get the griddle ripping hot first.

1. Steak (work in 2 batches, don't crowd): Sear the sirloin cap hot and fast, ~3 min — brown crust, medium-rare inside. Move to a plate. Sear the beef steak right after; take it a touch more done if you like. Move to plate.

2. Fried Rice (cooler zone, ~10 min for this volume):

   • Melt 2 tbsp butter, sauté diced onions until translucent.
   • Push aside, melt 2 tbsp butter, scramble the eggs, then chop them into the onion.
   • Add cold rice in batches, break up clumps, spread thin to crisp.
   • Drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 2 tbsp butter. Stir in scallion whites + peas/carrots if using.
   • Toss until hot and slightly crispy. Top with scallion greens.

3. Sides: Cook potstickers and spring rolls separately (pan or oven per package) while the rice finishes.

Serve

• Fried rice as the base, steak on top for meat plates, potstickers + spring rolls alongside.
• Yum yum sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes — Party Scale

• Meat math: 42 oz raw → ~31 oz cooked across 5 meat adults + 4 kids. Moderate per-person portion, right for hibachi with the rice and dumplings filling plates.
• Vegetarian adult: Plate her fried rice before the steak touches any plates — rice + potstickers + spring rolls is a full meal (confirm the dumplings/rolls are veg).
• Two batches: The flattop can't sear 42 oz at once without steaming. Batch the steak.