Easy Enoki Beef Rolls – Japanese Appetiser

Easy Enoki Beef Rolls are made from delicious marinated beef filled with enoki mushroom. These bite-sized Japanese beef rolls are the perfect Japanese appetiser, guaranteed to disappear the instant they hit the table.

Why We Love This

Enoki beef rolls are the perfect appetiser – they’re not only delicious, they’re easy and fun to prepare!

The marinated beef and enoki mushrooms are juicy and tender, cooked to perfection in a blend of Japanese flavours. Similar to our slow-cooked sticky soy mushrooms, the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and mirin work their magic in a simple, powerful marinade. Cooked in sesame oil, the flavours are out of this world!

What are Enoki Beef Rolls?

These are a classic Japanese appetiser made from tasty enoki mushrooms wrapped in thinly sliced beef. What sets it apart is the gorgeous blend of flavour in the marinade and the juicy texture once cooked.

We have such a soft spot in our hearts for these little beef rolls. They bring a smile to our faces and a growl to our stomachs, every time we think of them.

And it’s not just because they are can’t-get-enough-of-these-melt-in-your-mouth-bites that are smothered in soy + ginger + garlic deliciousness. Although that’s definitely a big part of it…

No, the real reason we grin is because these were one of the very first dishes that we ever cooked together.

Yep, this innocent little kitchen experiment ignited a whole new culinary caper that started in our kitchen and grew into to a wandering escapade around the world.

What You’ll Need

The marinade for this recipe is made from staple Japanese pantry ingredients including soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil. Here’s a bit more about what else you’ll need:

• Thinly Sliced Beef – Asian grocers often stock this in the freezer section, pre-sliced and ready to go (try asking for hot pot beef similar to shabu shabu), but your local butcher may be willing to do the same on request. 
• Enoki Mushrooms – These are a type of Japanese mushroom also known as Enokitake. They are mild in flavour with a crispiness in texture that becomes juicy once cooked, allowing them to soak up all the delicious flavours in this dish. They don’t taste anything like regular field mushrooms! Instead they have a slight woody sweetness, making them the perfect ‘starter’ mushroom for those wanting to broaden their palates.
• Cooking Sake – This is a type of rice wine made for cooking. It’s lighter and more delicate in flavour than Chinese cooking wine, but you can use either in this recipe. Look for it at Asian grocers or online.
• Mirin – This is a sweet rice wine for cooking, if you can’t find it at your supermarket, you can omit or add in a 1/2 tsp of sugar instead. You can sometimes find this in regular supermarkets, otherwise head to your nearest Asian grocer or online.

How to make:

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake and mirin along with 1 tbsp sesame sauce in a shallow dish. 
2. Place beef slices into dish and coat evenly in the marinade. Place in fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow all those beautiful flavours to soak into the meat. 
3. Meanwhile, slice the roots off of the enoki, leaving enough of the connected roots at the bottom so the mushrooms are still stuck together. Break into small sections and place into a bowl of lukewarm water. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and let sit for 10 -15 minutes to soften and add flavour. Drain. 

4. On a clean surface, stretch out one slice of beef. Top with two sections of enoki facing opposite directions, so the pretty caps are visible on both ends. Roll the beef tightly around the enoki on a slight diagonal, so it’s wrapped evenly. Repeat for remaining slices of beef. 
5. Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the rolls and cook quickly, rotating a quarter turn every few minutes until browned. 
6. Once cooked, remove from pan and transfer to a serving plate. Pour any remaining sauce from pan over the top and serve immediately.

Wandercook’s Tips

• We recommend slicing each roll in half before serving. This will make them much easier to pick up with chopsticks and eat.
• Make it spicy with a sprinkling of togarashi – Japanese seven spice blend.

FAQs

Variations & Substitutes

• Beef – Substitute the beef for shabu shabu style pork slices or thinly sliced bacon. If using bacon, you can even skip the marinade (but where’s the fun in that?)
• Enoki – Substitute with leek, spring onion or asparagus spears. You may also be able to substitute with canned or dried enoki. We haven’t tried this personally, so if you do we’d love to hear about it! Leave us a comment below and tell us how you went.
• Mirin – Either omit or substitute with 1/2 tsp of sugar.
• Soy Sauce – Swap for ponzu sauce (citrus soy sauce ) for even more flavour.

Want more delicious dinner ideas? Here are some of our favourites:

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!