Beef & asparagus maki

Cafe Society
#1

This is something I like from time to time.

Get some 1/4" beef tenderloin and pound it thin between two sheets of plastic wrap. Dip in a 2:1 mixture of soy sauce and sugar, then season with pepper. Trim the bottoms off of stalks of asparagus. (I just snap the bottoms off, as they always snap at the right place.) Roll the asparagus up in appropriately-sized slices of the beef. Grill or pan-fry. Cut the roll into little cylinders like a California roll. Serve with a dipping sauce made of mayonnaise, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar (this can also be used as dressing for a Spring greens salad) and steamed white rice.

You may want to boil the asparagus for a minute before rolling them in the meat, but I find they cook to crunchy in the meat.

If anyone remembers the Japanese name, let me know. I’ve forgotten it. (N___maki, or something.)

#2

Negimaki.

#3

I found a menu from a now-defunct restaurant that was near the office. They called it niku maki.

#4

My Japanese wife concurs: Nikumaki.

(Negimaku is scallions rolled in beef.)

#5

Have her make you some. (Or make some for her.) It’s good.

I used to get it for lunch at Koji’s Shabu-Shabu at The Block at Orange. Since I can’t go there anymore, I decided to make them myself.

#6

Yup, you’re right! For some reason I read Johnny LA’s entire OP as “scallions”, not “asparagus”. :smack:

#7

I’ve thought about using both asparagus and scallions. Never have, though.

#8

So… Neginikumaki?