Beef and Vegetable Rolls - recipe

Ray Morand’s Beef and Vegetable Rolls
(Gyuhire yasai maki)

1 medium carrot
4 oz asparagus
4 oz French beans
12 oz prime beef, sliced paper thin
Cornstarch or potato flour
Vegetable oil
(Alternative: green onions instead of asparagus)

Sauce:
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Water
1 Tbsp. Sake
1 Tbsp. Mirin
3 Tbsp. soy sauce


Scrape the carrot and cut into long narrow strips. Trim the asparagus. Top and tail the beans. Parboil the vegetable separately in lightly salted water until just tender. Drain immediately and refresh in cold water. Drain and pat dry. Lay half the meat slices side by side with edges overlaying to form a sheet. Press overlapping sections so they stick and brush with cornstarch. (Alternative, marinate meat in sauce for ½ hour)

Lay a few strips of each vegetable at one end and roll up firmly. Tie securely with white cotton string. Repeat with remaining meat and vegetables. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Put a little oil into a frying pan and heat over high heat. Add the rolls and sauté until lightly brown.

Pour the sauce over the rolls and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer over a low heat for five minutes, until the beef is tender and well flavored. Cut the strings and slice the rolls into 1-inch rounds. Arrange on individual serving dishes and spoon over a little sauce. Arrange on porcelain dish and garnish with parsley.

Raye Morand is the author of the Red Knight Chronicles: Army of the Dead, Dark Elf, Lost Memories, and the latest, Crash Landings, with more to come!