Ingredients

1 pound tender beef steak

Marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine for cooking)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root (grated)
2 cloves garlic (minced)

Sunomono Vinegared Salad
2-3 Japanese cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber)
1 teaspoon salt
toasted sesame seeds
optional: finely shredded daikon and carrot (to taste)

Dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar plus 2-3 tablespoons sugar
optional: grated ginger, a few drops of soy sauce,
1-2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice (to taste)

Preparation

Mix marinade ingredients together. Marinate steak for 2 hours, turning to soak both sides. Remove steaks from marinade and broil until done. Bring remaining marinade to a boil on the stove top to accompany with sliced steak. Serves 4.

For the salad:
Slice cucumber very thin (peel first if desired). Sprinkle with salt and mix together. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze out extra liquid, or rinse and drain well, if preferred. Combine dressing ingredients, mix with cucumber slices and refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve in a large bowl or small individual dishes. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. May also add wakame (seaweed), crab, prawns or surimi (imitation crab). Serves 4 to 6.