Roast Beef Sushi
Roast Beef Sushi will make a sushi lover of anyone. While it may sound like an exotic match, since sushi is largely thought of as a seafood dish, roast beef on top of small mounds of sushi rice is an ideal combination. Sushi originally came about in Japan in the early 1800s as a way to make fatty, rich-tasting red-fleshed deep-sea ocean fish more appetizing, with the balls of vinegared sushi rice enhancing and balancing the fish’s flavor. Roast beef as a topping for sushi is a natural extension of this preparation.
To make this dish, use our Steamed Roast Beef recipe to create a succulent topping that is every slice as delicious as O-Toro, the rich, fatty underbelly of prized Bluefin Tuna. Or use store-bought roast beef. All you need to do in addition is prepare the sushi rice per our directions below.
Roast Beef Sushi is a delightful appetizer or delicious end to a meal in the Japanese manner of serving a rice dish as the last course. It can also be enjoyed as a meal in itself along with a salad and bowl of miso soup.
Roast Beef Sushi
Rosuto Bifu Sushi : ローストビーフ寿司
Makes about 20 rolls
Main Foods
Roast Beef, 1 lb. (450 g)
Short-Grain Rice, 1 3/4 cups (400 cc)
Seasonings
Konbu (Dried), 2-inch piece (5 cm) — Optional
Sugar, 2 tablespoons
Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon
Rice Vinegar, 4 tablespoons
Aromatics / Flavorings (Options)
Yuzu Kosho Paste
Wasabi Paste
Soy Sauce
Ponzu Sauce Mixed with Chopped Green Onions, Grated Garlic or Grated Daikon Radish
Directions
Wash the rice by putting it into a bowl, filling the bowl with cold water, swishing the rice around with your hand, and draining it by simply tipping the bowl over and holding the rice in with your hand. Do this as many times as needed until the water runs clear, which can be anywhere from 3-6 times. Last, drain the rice thoroughly in a colander for 20-30 minutes.
Put the rice in a pot with 1 2/3 cups (380 ml) of cold water, place the piece of konbu on top of the rice if using, turn the heat on to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Don’t open the pot while the rice is steaming. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 15 minutes during which time it will continue to steam.
Mix the sugar, sea salt, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and pour the seasonings evenly over it while still hot. Use a traditional shamoji rice paddle or wooden spoon or plastic spatula to mix the seasonings into the rice with a sideways cutting motion, slightly lifting the rice as you go to fluff it up and cool it down. Do it fairly swiftly and don’t over-mix the rice as it will become sticky and lumpy if you do.
Slice the roast beef as thin as you’d like. Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) of sushi rice in one hand and gently squeeze it a few times to form a rectangular roll. Place a slice of roast beef on top of the rice. Repeat.
Serve
Place the sushi rolls on a serving platter either already dressed with condiments or serve those on the side. There are a variety that go well with Roast Beef Sushi, including citrusy-peppery yuzu kosho paste, hot wasabi and soy sauce.
Shamoji
Shamoji (杓文字) are small, flat paddles used to make rice: to fluff it up after it’s been cooked, to mix seasonings into the rice to make sushi rice, and to serve rice. They’re traditionally made of wood or bamboo. Fancy ones are made of lacquer and modern ones of plastic. The point is to avoid metal because it may cut and damage the rice.
It’s believed that the first shamoji was created in the Setouchi by a monk on Itsukushima Island, which is more commonly known as Miyamajima Island because of the large red torii gate standing in the water facing the island. Some of the best shamoji made in Japan are hand-crafted there at Miyajimia Kougei Seisakujo using cherry wood from trees growing in the mountains on the island and other areas in Hiroshima prefecture. Stop by if you visit the island or order their shamoji and other wooden kitchen tools from them directly or from the Real Japan Project.
Real Japan Project (English)
Real Japan Project (Japanese)
A shamoji being made at Miyajima Kougei Seisakujo on Itsukushima Island in Hiroshima prefecture.