Asian Beef & Asparagus Rolls with Sesame Rice & Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 8 white asparagus spears
• 8 thin slices beef fillet
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 250 g jasmine rice or basmati rice
• 1 cucumber
• 1 tbsp lime juice or rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• salt
• optional: extra sesame seeds for serving

Steps

1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Keep warm.
2. Peel the white asparagus and trim the woody ends. Cut the spears so they will still stick out slightly from the beef rolls.
3. Cook the asparagus in salted water for 5-7 minutes, until just tender but still firm. Drain and pat dry.
4. For the glaze, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic in a small pan. Bring briefly to a simmer until the sugar dissolves.
5. Important: reserve a few spoonfuls of the clean glaze for serving before it touches raw beef.
6. Roll each asparagus spear in one thin slice of beef fillet.
7. Heat a grill pan or grill to medium heat. Cook the rolls, turning regularly, until the beef is browned and cooked to your liking.
8. Brush the rolls with the glaze while cooking.
9. Slice the cucumber thinly and mix with lime juice or rice vinegar, sesame oil, a pinch of salt, sliced spring onion, and sesame seeds.
10. Fluff the rice and sprinkle with sesame.
11. Serve the beef-asparagus rolls with sesame rice, cucumber salad, spring onion, sesame, and the reserved clean glaze.