Beef Negimaki
Negimaki are rolls--usually made of beef, though I've seen some other skins--with a bundle of either asparagus or green onions at the center. I prefer the latter with beef. The best beef to buy for this is rare deli-style roast beef, sliced thicker than you'd use for sandwiches (about an eighth of an inch thick). Also, this comes out much better with thin green onions rather than large ones. If all you can find are the big ones, slice each one from end to end before wrapping.
That leaves only one open question: where should you get the teriyaki sauce. From a supermarket shelf, or from a Japanese restaurant? My problem with this consideration is that if I'm going to pick up some house-made sauce from a sushi bar, why not just eat there, too? Life is full of difficult moments like this.
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- 6 slices of rare deli roast beef, about 1/8 inch thick, sliced into pieces about four inches square
- 1 Tbs. Tabasco soy sauce
- 6 green onions, tender green part only, sliced five inches long
- 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the beef slices, and a dash of soy sauce.
3. Place six to eight of the green onion leaves along one end of a beef slice. Roll it up as tightly as you can, and secure with a toothpick that weaves in and out of the beef. Repeat for all of the other slices.
4. Put the rolls onto a griddle or in the skillet and sear all around until well browned. Reduce the heat to low and add the teriyaki sauce, bringing it to a light boil. Roll the rolls around in the sauce to saturate them thoroughly.
Serve with extra teriyaki sauce on the side.
Serves six appetizers.