grilled beef rolls

With the available recipe choices narrowing, I realize I'm having a harder time finding a corresponding recipe to the ingredients in my refrigerator. Finally, I had a leftover bag of small sweet peppers from a recent dinner. These were perfect to julienne into strips for this application, since they were short to begin with, reducing the chance of wasting food. However, regular bell peppers are fine as well, just make sure you trim the length. I love simple recipes, and this one is definitely one of the simplest in the book, requiring only a few ingredients. All I had to buy was the meat, which I substituted a sirloin steak for the original beef tenderloin.

The vibrant colors of the peppers were beautiful, and since we eat with our eyes first, they definitely poke interest through the thin slice of beef. My strips were just right in terms of length. If using regular sized bell pepper, you may want to trim each strip in half. As with most recipes, mise en place is crucial for the assembly of these rolls.

A word of advice when toothpicking the rolls: skewer in the same direction as the seam and peppers. As seen in the above picture, I skewered in every direction, thinking it wouldn't make a significant difference, especially since the photo in the book has the toothpicks perpendicular. I was wrong. Having the toothpick in the same direction as the peppers is more conducive to cooking, allowing all sides of the beef opportunity to sear on the grill. I found the perpendicular rolls undercooked on two sides due to the toothpick.

Pounding the beef thin allowed for it to remain tender with quick cooking over the grill. I purposely under seasoned, given that we intake too much sodium as it is and after hearing reports of how high sodium intake can harm our health. In that regard, I served it with a side of the sauce, in case it needed an extra oomph. The beef gave way to sweet and crisp peppers all in one bite. This was finger food with an Asian flair, reminiscent of Japanese enoki and beef rolls.

Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Soy Dipping Sauce

makes 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, well trimmed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, green tops cut into 3-inch lengths and sliced lengthwise; whites cut into 1/8-inch rings

12 small sweet peppers (4 each of red, orange, and yellow), trimmed, seeded, and cut into long, thin matchsticks

1 tsp olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and the brown sugar until dissolved; set aside. Slice the steak into 4, 1/4-inch, slices. Trim off any fat or connective tissue. Place 1 slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat pounder, evenly pound out the slice, keeping it roughly rectangular, until it is 1/8-inch thick. Do not overpound or they will disintegrate. Remove the plastic wrap, cut into 2x4 inch pieces, and transfer to a large plate. Continue with remaining slices.

Brush 1 slice of beef with the soy sauce mixture and place it on a clean surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 pieces of scallion green and 1 piece of each pepper across the shorter length of the beef. Roll up lengthwise, and skewer along the seam with one toothpick. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables.

Lightly brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat until hot. Grill the beef rolls, turning until medium rare, 2-4 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring the remaining sauce to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and add scallion rings.