How Cowboys Eat Sushi
Photo: Shannon Keller Rollins
From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: A Taste of Cowboy by Kent Rollins
Cowboy Sushi
Makes 3 rolls; 24 to 30 pieces
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Hold the horses, ’cause this is an unlikely pair. Ever since Shannon got me hooked on sushi, it’s been one of my favorites, but I wanted to make it cowboy style. Using thin steaks instead of rice beefs up the protein in my sushi. The fresh flavors of cucumber and avocado bring out the more traditional side of sushi. Tanoshimu — enjoy!
3 (5- to 8-ounce) sirloin steaks or thin-cut Milanesa
Lime juice
Meat tenderizer
Seasoned salt
Black pepper
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
1 jalapeño, cut into thin 2-inch-long spears
¼ medium-sized cucumber, cut into thin 2-inch-long spears
2 green onions, chopped
Cowboy Sushi Sauce (recipe follows)
1 avocado halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
Lemon juice
Unless you are using the Milanesa, wrap the sirloin steaks with plastic wrap and flatten with a meat hammer until about 1/8 inch thick, or as thin as possible and into an approximately 6-x-11-inch rectangle.
Remove the plastic and rub both sides of the meat with several drops of lime juice. Repeat with a few shakes of the meat tenderizer and seasonings. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes in the icebox.
Preheat a grill to low.
Remove the meat from the icebox and let warm to room temperature before grilling. Grill the meat over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until rare to medium-rare. You can also pan-fry the steaks by searing them on both sides over medium-high heat. Just be sure to keep the meat on the rare to medium-rare side because it will be easier to handle and more tender. Cool to room temperature.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese evenly over one side of each steak. Place about a 1½-inch-wide row of jalapeño and cucumber spears closer to one long side of the steaks, using your judgment about how much to include.
Sprinkle the green onions on top. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the sushi sauce on top of the vegetable.
Starting with the long side with the vegetables, tightly roll up the steak. Cover and place in the icebox for 10 minutes.
Cut the rolls into ¾-inch-thick pieces. Top the rolls with the avocado slices. You can squeeze a little lemon juice over the avocado to keep it from browning. Drizzle with the sushi sauce or use for dipping and serve.
Tip: The trick to this dish is having a thin cut of meat. Oftentimes I can find thin-cut Milanesa, which is beef top round cut extra thin; it works great here. You can also have your butcher cut an extra-thin piece of top round or sirloin so you don’t have to pound your own meat.
Cowboy Sushi Sauce
Makes about ¾ cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
When I eat sushi, one of the best things is the sauce that is drizzled over it. This sauce enhances the Cowboy Sushi with a smoky Asian flavor. It’s great for drizzling or dipping.
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1¼ tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1¼ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Serve with the sushi rolls.
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