“Serve THIS on Game Day”

“Please serve SCALLION BEEF on game day!”

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, an outstanding monthly event for sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations. It continues to be a great source of inspiration and my absolute pleasure to be a part of their fabulous Cooking Group.

For October’s event, to celebrate the beginning of football season, they are hosting a 5 Star Makeover Tailgate Party. The theme: “Whether you watch American Football or the World’s Football, pick your favorite pre-game dish and give it a gourmet spin.”

Micro-thin sliced natural angus prime beef ribeye is wrapped around fresh scallions then grilled with a soy, sake, mirin, sugar, black pepper glaze. It’s served with mitsuba leaves and extra sauce for dipping.

For our cooking group challenge, I’m taking the concept of “game-day meat on the BBQ” and serving it up in this fabulous Japanese style. And I’ll give 21:1 odds that those in front of the TV on game day will gobble up these umami nuggets before anything else on the buffet.

Grilled Scallion Beef Recipe

Prepare Scallion Beef glaze/dipping sauce:

• 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 T. mirin
• 2 T. sake
• 1 1/2 t. sugar
• fresh ground black pepper

Stir ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Divide mixture for glazing and dipping.

Overlap thin slices of natural angus prime beef ribeye to make a bed.  I purchase this meat from the Japanese market, where it is labeled sukiyaki beef.   Scallion Beef is a popular snack (known as gyu negi maki) in Japanese pubs. Place 2 trimmed scallions (alternating direction) atop the meat. Roll the beef tightly around the scallions then secure with toothpicks.

Grill scallion beef over high heat on a well-oiled grate or a non-stick grilling skillet. Turn frequently. Grilled shishito peppers make a fine accompaniment too.

Baste the meat with the glaze as it cooks.

The rolls take about 5 to 7 minutes to cook depending on the heat and desired doneness. Remove the cooked scallion beef from the grill and let them rest a couple minutes. Remove toothpicks and slice into bite-sized rounds.

Serve scallion beef with the soy dipping sauce.

Scallion Beef with Sushi Rice and White Miso, Hot Chile Oil for Dipping

To make this version, prepare the beef and scallion as above, then  spread some warm (not hot) cooked sushi rice alongside the scallions. Mix 1 t. white miso paste with 1 t. warm water, and stir to dissolve. Brush white miso sauce on the rice, then roll it up and grill in the same manner.

Serve with fiery chile oil.

Touchdown Scallion Beef

“Hey Guys, check out this scallion beef!”