Beef Rolls with Scallion

Beef flank steak is intricately sliced, pounded together, then rolled up with scallions inside, marinated, and grilled.

Ingredients:

• 12 small scallions, trimmed to 6-inch lengths
• 1, 1-lb piece flank steak, trimmed to a 6- to 7-inch square
• 1/4 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Blanch scallions in boiling salted water 45 seconds, and then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Transfer scallions to paper towels to drain; pat dry. Holding a very sharp knife at an angle just slightly above the cutting board, cut the steak with the grain into 12 very thin pieces. (Each piece should be 6-to 7-inches long, 1 1/2- to 2-inches wide, and about 1/8-inch thick.) Arrange slices 1-inch apart on plastic wrap, then cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Pound slices with flat side of meat mallet until about 1/16-inch thick. Arrange 3 beef slices side by side on a fresh sheet of plastic wrap, overlapping slices slightly to form a 6-inch square with short ends of slices nearest you. Lay 3 scallions, with some white parts at both ends, across slices at end closest to you. Tightly roll up meat around scallions to form a log, using plastic wrap to aid in rolling. Tie log with kitchen string at ends and where meat slices overlap. Make 3 more beef rolls in same manner, for a total of 4. Stir together sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Put rolls in a medium dish and pour marinade over them, turning to coat. Marinate, loosely covered with plastic wrap, about 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Preheat grill to moderately high heat. While grill is heating, lift rolls out of marinade, letting excess drip off, and pat dry. Reserve marinade. Brush oil on grill. Cook rolls, turning with tongs, until well browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total for medium-rare. Meanwhile, add marinade to a saucepan and boil, uncovered, until slightly syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer rolls to cutting board. Remove strings, and then cut each roll crosswise into 6 pieces. Pour sauce into a shallow serving dish and arrange beef rolls in sauce.

Number of Servings: Serves 4

Notes from the Cook: Beef rolls can be prepared (rolled & tied) and wrapped in plastic wrap 4 hours ahead of time, then marinated and cooked to serve.