Shabu Shabu
Shabu Shabu is a famous Japanese hot pot where everyone at the table cooks together. Diners swish marbled meat, tofu, and vegetables in a light broth and enjoy it with savory dipping sauce. It's an intimate yet casual meal that's fun and easy to pull off at home.
Servings: 4
Calories: 477kcal
Ingredients
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (1 piece per large donabe; 10 g, 3 x 3 inches, 7.5 x 7.5 cm per piece)
- water
- 1 serving udon noodles (8.8 oz, 250 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 3 oz, 90 g dry udon noodles)
- 8 leaves napa cabbage (12 oz, 340 g)
- ½ bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) (4 oz, 113 g)
- 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (white part only; 4 oz, 113 g; or use 1 leek or 2 green onions)
- 1 package enoki mushrooms (7 oz, 200 g)
- 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (2.3 oz, 65 g)
- 2 inches carrot (2.3 oz, 65 g)
- 1 package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) (14 oz, 396 g)
- 1 lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) (4–5 oz, 113–140 g per serving)
For the Sauces and Garnish
- ponzu (store bought or make my Homemade Ponzu Sauce)
- sesame dipping sauce (store bought or make my Homemade Sesame Sauce)
- 2 inches daikon radish (5 oz, 143 g)
- 2 green onions/scallions (0.9 oz, 25 g)
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional, for a spicy kick)
Instructions
Before You Start...
- You can make my Homemade Ponzu Sauce and Homemade Sesame Sauce from scratch ahead of time. You can also purchase these sauces at Japanese grocery stores.
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Stock
- Fill 1 large donabe clay pot (or Dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed pot) two-thirds full of water. Add 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and soak for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. The right image shows the kombu dashi after 30 minutes. Note: Use 1 piece of kombu per large donabe. If you‘re doubling this recipe, use two donabe and put 1 piece of kombu in each pot.
To Prepare the Hot Pot Ingredients
- Prepare the udon noodles according to the package instructions. I use 1 serving udon noodles (still frozen) and reheat it in boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer them to iced water to stop the cooking, then drain well. Place on a plate and set aside. The meal ends with the udon course after you‘ve eaten the main meal.
- Cut 8 leaves napa cabbage crosswise into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces, and then cut each piece in half or thirds lengthwise. Keep the tough/thick parts and leafy pieces in separate piles.
- Cut ½ bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Keep the thick parts and leafy pieces in separate piles.
- Diagonally cut only the white part of 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) into pieces ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Tip: Reserve the green part for another use, like making Homemade Chashu.
- Rinse 1 package enoki mushrooms and 1 package shimeji mushrooms. Discard the root ends of both mushrooms and separate them into smaller chunks.
- Cut off the stems of 4 shiitake mushrooms. Optionally, cut a decorative flower pattern on the caps (see How to Cut Shiitake Hanagiri).
- Cut 2 inches carrot into ¼-inch rounds. Optionally, you can use a vegetable cutter to cut the carrots into a flower shape.
- Cut 1 package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) into square pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- Arrange all the vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu on a serving platter.
To Prepare the Garnishes and Beef
- Peel 2 inches daikon radish and grate it (I use a ceramic grater). Squeeze it gently to remove most of the liquid and put the grated daikon in a small bowl.
- Cut 2 green onions/scallions into thin rounds and put it in a bowl.
- Prepare optional shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) in a bowl. Lay the 1 lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) on a platter.
To Cook the Shabu Shabu
- Set up a portable gas stove at the table and put the donabe on the burner. Place the platters with the ingredients on the table. Give each person their own bowls of ponzu and sesame dipping sauce. I also prepare a shallow bowl for each diner to cool their food.
- Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Take out the kombu right before water starts to boil (otherwise, the water will get slimy).
- Add the tofu, tough parts of napa cabbage and shungiku, negi, carrots, and some mushrooms. Reserve the softer, leafy vegetables to cook later. You don’t have to put all the ingredients in at once; cook in batches, if you prefer. Cover to cook for 10 minutes.
To Eat the Shabu Shabu
- While you’re waiting for the food to cook, prepare your dipping sauces. Add the grated daikon, shichimi togarashi, and green onion to the ponzu. Add the green onion to the sesame sauce.
- When you‘re ready to eat the meat, pick up a piece of thinly sliced beef with a set of communal cooking chopsticks. Stir or “swish“ the meat in the boiling broth and cook for 20–30 seconds or until the meat is no longer pink; be careful not to overcook it.
- Serve the beef, vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu once cooked and enjoy the food dipped in ponzu or sesame sauce.
- Skim off the scum and foam from the surface, especially after cooking the meat, to keep the broth as clean as possible. Then, add the softer, leafy vegetables to the broth as you make room in the pot. Simmer for a few minutes and serve. Cook the meat as you're ready to eat, and enjoy the other ingredients while restocking the pot along the way.Tip: Prepare a fine-mesh skimmer and a 2-cup measuring cup filled with water so you can easily skim as you cook at the table. The water will help clean the skimmer.
To Make the Udon Course
- When you're done cooking the ingredients, skim the broth one last time to prepare for the udon noodles. Typically, a hot pot meal ends with cooking udon noodles or porridge.
- Add the udon noodles to the pot and reheat for 1–2 minutes. Lightly season the broth with salt and white pepper, if you‘d like (optional).
- Dilute the individual bowls of ponzu sauce with the broth and serve the udon noodles in each bowl.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition
Calories: 477 kcal · Carbohydrates: 35 g · Protein: 38 g · Fat: 21 g · Saturated Fat: 8 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 69 mg · Sodium: 178 mg · Potassium: 1036 mg · Fiber: 8 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 3133 IU · Vitamin C: 31 mg · Calcium: 238 mg · Iron: 5 mg