Negimaki

This is sushi for carnivores. Thinly sliced flank steak rolled around deliciously grassy scallions. The end product looks like sushi, but it's steak! If you are not up for all of the work in this recipe, you can use the same ingredients. Just grill up the steak, char the scallions over your fire and then just serve them on top. But the presentation of rolled Negimaki is extraordinary...a culinary and visual delight. This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe.


Ingredients
1, 2-pound flank steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons sake
16 scallions, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds


Directions

1. Place steak on large plate and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Bring soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake to simmer in small saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and cook until slightly syrupy and reduced to ½ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide evenly between 2 bowls and let cool. Cover 1 bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for serving.
3. Place steak on cutting board. Starting at narrow, tapered end, slice steak ⅜-inch thick on bias against grain until width of steak is 7 inches (depending on size of steak, you will need to remove 2 to 3 slices until steak measures 7 inches across). Cut steak in half lengthwise. Continue to slice each half on bias against grain. You should have at least 24 slices. Pound each slice to 3/16-inch thickness between 2 sheets of plastic.
4. Arrange 3 slices on cutting board with short side of slices facing you, overlapping slices by ¼ inch and alternating tapered ends as needed, to form rough rectangle that measures 4 to 6 inches wide and at least 4 inches long. Place 4 scallion halves along edge of rectangle nearest to edge of counter, with white tips slightly hanging over edges of steak on either side. Starting from bottom edge and rolling away from you, roll into tight cylinder. Insert 3 equally spaced toothpicks into end flaps and through center of roll. Transfer roll to platter and repeat with remaining steak and scallions. (Assembled rolls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
5. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
6. Place rolls on grill and cook until first side is beginning to char, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip rolls, brush cooked side with glaze and cook until second side is beginning to char, 4 to 6 minutes. Cook remaining 2 sides, glazing after each turn, until all 4 sides of rolls are evenly charred. Transfer rolls to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Discard remaining glaze.
7. Remove toothpicks from rolls and cut rolls crosswise into ¾-inch-long pieces. Arrange rolls cut side down on clean platter, drizzle with 2 tablespoons reserved glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve, passing remaining reserved glaze separately.

Wine pairing: A Rombauer Zinfandel

Grogs and Goldie, 1956