Aspara bacon maki (Asparagus bacon roll, アスパラベーコン巻)

This dish is very common in Japan. The combination of asparagus and bacon is fantastic. My mom made it when I was a child. It’s good for a lunch box menu!

Ingredients (For 3 plates):

• 10 asparagus
• 170g (6oz) of bacon (10 half size bacon)
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• salt & pepper (If you like)
• 2 tablespoons of *Yakiniku no tare (Japanese BBQ sauce)
• rice (if you like)

Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 10 - 15 minutes.

1. Slice asparagus into 5 cm (2 inches) long. Cut bacon into 10 cm (4 inches) long.
2. Fill a pot with water and heat on medium heat, after boiling, add asparagus and simmer about 5 minutes or until asparagus is soft. Remove from heat, and pour the boiled water out.
3. Preheat vegetable oil in a frying pan with medium heat, in the meantime, put 2 sliced asparagus on top of a slice of bacon and roll together. Repeat for the rest of the bacon. Put all rolled bacon in the frying pan.
4. After the bottom of the bacon rolls are brown, put Japanese BBQ sauce into the pan, cover with a lid and simmer about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the lid, flip over the bacon rolls and simmer 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat, put the rolls onto plates. Add salt & pepper if you like.