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.