Teriyaki Nigiri Sushi

Hand formed nigiri sushi topped with sweet teriyaki beef, a spicy jalapeno slice and a sprinkle of salty masago.

So I've been away for a long time. Not because of covid, but because my blog was being migrated to a new site. In the mean time, I've been coming up with all kinds of new ideas for tasty bites, both sweet and savory.

My Teriyaki Nigiri Sushi is both a hearty appetizer and delicious meal. For those of you who don't know what nigiri means, it's simply a type of sushi that is hand formed into a chubby little log with some kind topping. In restaurants, you've probably seen nigiri with raw fish or shrimp on top. But why not something cooked and meaty? And why not teriyaki because who doesn't like teriyaki?

For this one, you'll have to have your butcher slice some sirloin really really thin, like an eighth of an inch thick. Luckily, I found a packet already thinly sliced and ready to go. But I always find beef to be chewy, so before I marinated the slices, I gave them a quick pound with my meat tenderizer. That was a good idea because it made it easy to bite into the sushi.  That is, unless you're one of those people who like to pop the whole sushi into your mouth. The grandkids loved this one, of course after removing the garnish, so I can honestly say this was a people pleaser!

Makes 16

• 7 ounces top sirloin, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp. ginger, grated
• 3 cups warm cooked rice (Japanese short grain rice for stickiness)
• 1/2 cup Japanese rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced for garnish
• Capelin roe (masago) for garnish

Tenderize the meat by pounding a few times with a meat mallet. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Stir to dissolve. Place meat in marinade over night or for a few hours. To cook, grill meat for a few minutes on each side under broiler. Do not overcook. Remove and cool.

While rice is cooking, combine sugar, vinegar, and salt. Stir to dissolve. Set aside two tablespoons. Place warm rice in a bowl and toss with vinegar solution, one tablespoon at a time. You can adjust to taste, how much vinegar you want in the rice. If rice is cold, warm in microwave. Vinegar will not stick to cold rice.

Wet fingers with the reserved vinegar and form rice into logs about an inch and a half long by one inch high, gently squeezing to retain the shape. Set aside to rest, so rice will firm up. Cut meat into pieces to fit on top of rice. Garnish with jalapeno slices and a bit of capelin roe (masago).