Sesame Beef Sashimi

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

The addition of sesame adds a delicious nutty dimension to the flavor of tataki as well as a spectacular presentation. This tataki is great with ponzu sauce and crispy fried wonton strips sprinkled with shichimi togarashi, Japanese 7 spice pepper. One recipe yields 1 large sashimi platter.

Sesame Beef Sashimi

1 pound high quality beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat

1 cup Japanese soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin, Japanese sweet cooking wine

1 TBSP unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

cooking oil

about 1/4 cup black and/or white sesame seeds, toasted

Ponzu Dipping Sauce, optional

Fried Wonton Strips

Gyoza or dumpling wrappers, cut in half, thin strips or as desired

Enough oil for frying

Shichimi togarashi or a mixtue of salt and cayenne

Heat cooking oil in a pan to 350 degrees F. Add wonton pieces a few at a time and fry until golden, flipping to ensure that both side are cooked. This will only take a few seconds. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with togarashi or salt/cayenne mixture. Repeat until desired number of chips have been made.

Optional suggested garnishes. For best flavor, select 1-2 garnishes:

Finely chopped scallions or chives

Fried garlic chips

Finely grated daikon radish

Finely grated ginger

In a plastic or ceramic bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Place beef tenderloin in bowl and turn several times to coat all sides of beef in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes, flipping the beef over after 10 minutes.

Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Discard marinade.Very lightly rub the tenderloin with a thin coating of cooking oil. Roll tenderloin in sesame seeds. Heat a heavy-duty sauté pan over high heat. Add just enough cooking oil, about 1 TBSP, to keep beef from sticking to the pan. Place beef in pan and quickly sear each side until lightly browned, about 10-15 seconds*. Alternately, quickly sear beef with a kitchen torch. When all sides have been seared, remove from pan allow to cool.

Cut beef across the grain into the thinnest possible slices with a very sharp knife. Lightly tap each piece a few times with the blade of the knife to score, being careful not to cut all the way through. Arrange pieces, slightly overlapping, on a large serving platter. Place fried wonton strips in the center of the platter. If desired, place a chopstick pinch of 1 garnish on top of each slice or sprinkle liberally. Serve with soy sauce or ponzu.

*This is very rare and falls well below the USDA recommended internal temperatures guidelines for beef to enhance its safety for children, pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems and older individuals. Please prepare your beef with consideration to what is comfortable and healthy for those consuming the finished product. Beef tataki is best enjoyed when prepared at a temperature of medium or below.

The USDA recommends the following Temperatures:

Rare 120- 125 degrees F

Medium Rare 130 – 135 degrees F

Medium 140 – 145 degrees

Brown Sushi Rice – A Wholesome Alternative

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

One of the most popular healthy lifestyle suggestions is to make a switch from refined carbs to healthier whole grains. From standard pasta to whole wheat pasta. From white bread to whole wheat bread. And from white rice to brown rice. These changes are often simple and interchangeable, requiring little modifications to achieve desired results.

When substituting short grain brown rice for the traditional short grain white rice in sushi applications, the conversion requires a bit more than swapping the rice. But with a little know how, the results can be quite tasty. Here’s what you need to know:

1. To rinse or not to rinse. White rice requires rinsing until the water runs clear to eliminate starches. When using brown rice, it is not necessary to rinse the rice as much. One rinsing will do the trick.

2. White rice should be drained to ensure that the excess water does not affect the amount of cooking liquid. Brown rice does not have to be drained.

3. When steaming white rice, less water than rice is used. With brown rice, you will use a one to three ratio of rice to water.

4. Brown sushi rice is less sticky than traditional sushi rice and works best in hand rolls and other rolls where the seaweed rather than rice is on the outside.

Brown Sushi Rice
1 cup short grain brown rice
3 cups water

Dressing
1/2 cup plain, unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 TBSP sea salt

In a medium sized bowl, run cold water over rice and swish gently before draining. Place rinsed rice in a rice cooker with 3 cups cool water. Press start and DO NOT OPEN LID FOR EXACTLY 40 MINUTES.

While rice is steaming, whisk rice vinegar, honey and salt in a non metal bowl until mixed well. Set aside.

Dampen a wooden cutting board or bowl. (If using plastic, do not dampen. Never use metal for mixing sushi rice.) When the rice has steamed for exactly 40 minutes, place on the cutting board or in the bowl. Toss rice with about 1/4 cup the dressing or more to taste.

Smooth rice in a thin layer and allow to cool completely. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.

Makes 2 1/2 cups rice.