These Enoki Beef Rolls are a simple variation on a Japanese classic, but have the additional twist of being glazed with a sweet, umami-rich Eel Sauce
Enoki Beef Rolls are a common addition to Japanese Restaurant menus (here in Canada, at least). Basically, they consist of Enokitake (Enoki Mushrooms) wrapped in thin slices of beef and then grilled with some sort of sweetish glaze. Commonly, the glaze is some variation of a Teriyaki Sauce, but the commercially prepared Eel Sauce from Kikkoman I have used in this recipe works very nicely indeed.
How to make Enoki Beef Rolls
I used the end section of a small beef roast for this dish. Often the slices are cut paper thin but I opted for a slightly thicker cut as I find that the meat can dry out if it is cut too thinly… I have often found this to be the case in restaurant preparations.
You can lightly pound your slices with a meat mallet, or the palm of your hand, in order to break up some of the muscle fibers and make for a more tender roll. You will also slightly increase the surface area. Basically, you need pieces that are about 3 inches wide and 4 or 5 inches long.
I first brushed a little Eel Sauce on each slice, sprinkled on some scallion, and then placed on a small bunch of Enoki mushrooms before rolling everything up. You may need to trim the stem ends of the mushroom bunch before rolling as this part can often be very dense and fibrous.
I used a ridged grill pan for cooking and brushed a little more of the Eel Sauce (diluted with just a splash of rice wine) over the rolls as a glaze just before they were done.
You can also use a regular pan and add a little more of the glaze mix at the last minute. This can then be poured over and around the rolls on the plate.
On a final note, the rolls need to be served immediately as they tend to dry out and toughen slightly if left to cool too long.