Beef Negimaki with Asparagus and Scallions
Ingredients
For the Beef Negimaki
- Salt
- 12 thin spears asparagus (1/2 bunch), trimmed into pieces 7- to 8-inches long
- 12 scallions (1 bunch), trimmed of roots and tough tops to pieces 7- to 8-inches long
- 1 1/4 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against grain on an angle into pieces 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick
- Vegetable or peanut oil for drizzling plus 1 tablespoon
- Coarse black pepper
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/3 cup Tamari/soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 2-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the Japanese Salad
- 3/4 pound spinach
- 4 radishes or 2 watermelon radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or thin julienne
- 1 small red bell pepper, quartered, seeded and thinly sliced across
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 3 tablespoons rice wine or white distilled vinegar
- 1 inch ginger root, grated
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Tamari/soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
Preparation
Set up an ice bath with cold water in a large bowl.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add salt then cook asparagus 2 minutes; cold-shock and dry. Add scallions to boiling water and blanch 45 seconds to 1 minute; cold-shock and dry.
Working on cutting board, shingle/layer 3 or 4 slices of meat to form a 7- to 8-inch square. Place 3 scallions and 3 asparagus on each square and roll them up in the meat; secure each roll with 2 or 3 pieces of kitchen string. Repeat to form 3 more rolls.
Combine sake, Mirin, Tamari, ginger and garlic in a shallow dish. Add beef rolls and marinade 15 minutes, turning them occasionally to coat all over with sauce.
While meat marinates, stem spinach and arrange on a platter or individual dishes. Arrange radish matchsticks, carrots and red peppers over the spinach.
Place the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper, and reserve.
Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with oil, 1 turn of the pan. Shake off any excess marinade and add rolls to skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes for medium-rare center and crispy outer layer; remove to cutting board. Add marinade to pan and reduce 1-2 minutes to form a syrupy sauce.
Cut string off beef rolls and cut each roll into 5 pieces, arrange pinwheels upright on plates in a small pool of the reduced sauce.
Spoon dressing over salad and serve alongside the negimaki.
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Beef Teriyaki with Green Beans and Green Onions
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