Enoki Beef Rolls

If you’re craving for an easy weeknight meal or appetizer, these Enoki Beef Rolls are the perfect answer. It’s tender beef stuffed with chewy mushrooms -all drenched with velvety eggs and an umami-bombed sauce.

This dish is incredibly simple and comes together in just under an hour! It’s one of my go-to meals to prepare for the family since they all adore this dish and it disappears within minutes.

Enoki mushrooms are my absolute favorite types of mushrooms since they absorb practically anything they’re simmered into. If you love noodles, this one’s for you. Enoki mushrooms are one of the closest mushrooms you can get to replicating that similar stringy, chewy texture of noodles.

To make these, you’ll need to get a hold of very thinly-sliced meat. Think the type of meat you’d get at your favorite local hotpot place or a Korean barbecue. They’re thin, easy to manage, and a breeze to cook with.

These pieces of meat will essentially be the “wrapper” to encase the bunches of mushroom we’ll be simmering it in.

The sauce is a blend of dashi, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar -somewhat similar to a Teriyaki-type style sauce.

To finish, we drench the dish with lightly scrambled eggs and cook it just to the point of being set, but still somewhat runny and velvety.

It’s very similar to another Japanese dish called Gyudon, which a similar concept by way of simmering beef and topping it off with eggs, but this version adds an extra step with the wrapping the beef around chewy mushrooms.

Give these a try in your next weeknight meal rotation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

Thinly-sliced beef: As stated above, you’ll need to get some very thin beef for this recipe. Most Asian grocers should carry this, either pre-sliced and frozen in packs, or you can request to have them freshly sliced at the butcher.

In terms of cuts of beef, go for your favorite cut or whatever’s available/affordable. Premium cuts such as rib eye are going to be more pricy, but you can achieve similar and tasty results with others varieties such as flank.

Enoki mushrooms: These are a Japanese variety of mushroom, typically sold in most Asian groceries. They’re soft, stringy, and chewy -making them the perfect vehicle to soak up all that savory goodness from the sauce.

If you haven’t worked with enoki mushrooms before, just be sure to cut off the lower portion of their stems, as they contain a lot of dirt that you don’t want in your food.

Egg: The egg is not only to make the dish more filling, but it helps to bind everything together in the pan.

Dashi: Dashi is a classic Japanese stock commonly made with kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuoboshi (dried bonito flakes).

You’re free to make your own from scratch, but for conveniency, I like using the instant granules made by the Ajinomoto brand. Follow the instructions according to packaging and use the same stock for this recipe!

Sake: Similar to cooking wine, Japanese sake adds a mellow umami and somewhat sweet flavor to cooking (depending on the brand you purchase, of course). It can also tenderize meats and eliminate unpleasant odors.

You can buy cooking sake usually in the “sauces” area of your Asian grocery, or if you prefer, to buy actual drinking sake from a liquor store -both options are fine. Alternatively, you may choose to omit the sake without sacrificing the taste of the dish too much.

Mirin: Mirin is a sweet rice wine, similar to sake, but less alcoholic and sweeter. You can find this at the same place where sake and other Asian sauces should be found.

If omitting, I’d suggest adding 1/2 tsp of sugar instead to account for the loss of sweetness.

Soy sauce: A staple in almost all Asian cuisines, soy sauce provides the necessary base for our sauce to give that needed savoriness and saltiness to complement the beef.

Sugar: Sugar helps to further balance out the savory notes of the dish.

Instructions

Prepare the enoki mushrooms by cutting off the bottom root section. Gently rinse with cold water to remove any excess dirt. Section the mushrooms into 15 smaller bunches, then wrap each bunch with a thin slice of beef to hold them together. Set aside. 

In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

Lay the enoki beef rolls over the onions.

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth, then pour the prepared sauce over the rolls and simmer with a lid on for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.

Pour the scrambled egg on top of the enoki beef rolls, place the lid on again, and cook for an additional 1 minute, or until the eggs are slightly set.

Let cool. Top with the chopped scallions. Enjoy!

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover enoki beef rolls can be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

To reheat, simply place the rolls in a microwave or over stovetop and heat until warm. You may make extra sauce on the side to serve alongside the reheated rolls as they tend to dry out after about a day in the fridge.

What can I substitute Sake with?

Sake can be substituted with equal amounts of mirin.

What can I substitute mirin with?

Mirin can be substituted with an extra 1/2 tsp of sugar for this recipe.

Craving for more easy dinner recipes? You might love these:

• Yaki Udon
• Sizzling Beef Pepper Rice
• Sticky 5-Spice Chicken
• Chicken Adobo