Foodie: Negimaki and Miso Soup

It's Japanese Night

Rating: Please, sir, may I have some more?

We love and adore all kinds of Asian food, and being on a bit of a tight budget right now, we can't really go out for dinner. So I opted to try and make the negimaki at home. 

Flank steak, one of the hub's favorite cuts of meat, is now rare and expensive. Thanks COVID. In a stroke of genius, while I was staring at the meats in Shop Rite, I thought: Why can't I use the bracciole cuts? And there was no reason given that I could not. So I did. And it worked! 

There are other recipes out there that have you rolling these delicious little bites with things line asparagus. Uh, that's literally not negimaki. When you translate the word, it means scallion roll. So those other recipes? They lie. 

Now. A word: If you don't have an Asian Market nearby (we have a marvelous H-Mart), you might have to order some of these things off the internets. I'm sorry, but really America-- mirin should be a staple. 

Warning! Marinade (but only 15 minutes) 

Negamaki Recipe Here | Miso Soup Recipe Here 

BEEF NEGIMAKI
(please scroll down for Miso Soup!) 

Chef's tools: 

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Plastic wrap

Meat pounder OR heavy-bottomed pot (if using flank) 

Toothpicks

Small bowl

Whisk

Small baking dish

Large, deep skillet or cast iron pan 

Ingredients: 

1 ½ pounds flank steak OR thin cut bracciole beef

1 bunch scallions trimmed and cut in half

½ cup soy sauce

⅓ cup (Mizkan) Mirin

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

2 cups of cooked white rice

Instructions:

If you are using FLANK: (otherwise, skip this) 

SLICE AND POUND THE STEAK:

Unwrap the steak, trim it, pat it dry with paper towels, and then place it on a plate. Put the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Freeze the meat on a plate for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, thinly slice the steak against the grain on an angle into pieces 1 ½ to 2 inches wide and ½ to 1 inch in thickness. 

Place three pieces of meat on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap. Top with another piece of parchment or plastic wrap. 

Place the meat between pieces of plastic wrap.

Pound the meat so that it is about 3/16-inch in thickness. Repeat with the remaining pieces of meat. 

Pound the meat with the bottom of a heavy pot until it's 3/16-inches thick.

MAKE ROLLS:

Layer 3 pieces of meat on a cutting board to create a 7 to 8-inch square. 

Arrange 3 pieces of meat into a square.

Lay 3 scallions, with the white parts facing out, on the meat. (I would double the scallions!) 

Starting with the bottom edge, roll the meat and scallions into a tight cylinder. Secure the roll with three toothpicks. Repeat with the remaining beef and scallions. 

Place the scallions on the bottom of the meat square and roll into a cylinder.

MAKE MARINADE & MARINADE ROLLS:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ginger. 

Whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Place the rolls in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the meat rolls. Turn the rolls to coat in the marinade. Let them sit in the marinade at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Place the rolls in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it.

COOK ROLLS:

Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Remove the rolls from the marinade and place them into the hot skillet (set the marinade aside, you'll need it later).

For medium-rare Negimaki, cook for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally. For Medium cook for 6-7 minutes, and medium-well for 7-8 minutes. 

Cook the rolls for 6-7 minutes on the stovetop.

Remove the rolls from the pan and tent with foil on a cutting board. 

MAKE SAUCE:

Add remaining marinade to the hot pan and cook until it has reduced and is syrupy, about 2 minutes (the sauce will thicken as it cools).

Place the sauce in a saucepan and heat until thickened and saucy.

FINISH ROLLS:

Remove the toothpicks from the rolls and slice each roll into 4-5 pieces. Arrange the sliced rolls on a plate and serve with sauce, rice, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds (optional). 

5 negimaki rolls on a plate with rice.

 

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WHITE MISO SOUP

Note: I don't like onions in my miso soup. I simply skipped that and went with the dashi and miso. 

Ingredients: 

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cups water

1 tablespoon dashi granules

3–4 tablespoons white, red or awase miso paste

Ichimi togarashi (optional)

Add 4 cups of water, onions and dashi granules to a pot and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions are tender.

Place the miso paste in a colander and lower it into the pot until enough water covers the miso paste.

Using chopsticks, swirl the paste until it completely dissolves into the soup. Try not to boil it. 

Turn the heat off, and serve. 

Optional Additions! 
To me, it's not Miso Soup unless it has tofu and scallions. I love wakame too, but I didn't have fresh on hand. (Just dried nori sheets for sushi.) 

Tofu

Green onions (scallions)

Seaweed (wakame)

Deep-fried tofu pouches (aburaage)

Eggplant

Daikon

Shimeji mushrooms

Okra

Kabocha squash

Potato

Carrot

Cabbage

Spinach