Japanese Meat Recipe - Shabu Shabu Recipe

Beef shabu shabu
Ingredients (serves 4): 500g (1.1lb) finely sliced shabu shabu beef (If finely sliced beef is unavailable it is possible to slice half-frozen sirloin strip or rib eye by yourself and also to use sliced lamb or pork). 1 block broiled tofu (yakidofu) 10 scallions (naganegi) 200g (0.5lb) chrysanthemum leaves (shungiku) (If chrysanthemum leaves are unavailable, pak choi leaves (chingensai) or spinach (horenso) can be used). 4 Chinese cabbage leaves (hakusai) 100g (0.2lb) Japanese kuzukiri noodles (If available) 100g (0.2lb) enoki mushrooms 300g (0.7lb) boiled Japanese udon noodles (udon) Ready-made soy dipping sauce and sesame dipping sauce (If ready made sesame dipping sauce is unavailable, mix the sesame paste (tahini), soy sauce, vinegar, and Japanese soup stock). Salt and pepper to taste
Shabu shabu is a help yourself style dish like a barbecue. After you have prepared the ingredients, enjoy as you cook at a table. Preparations: 1. Take beef from refrigerator and let warm to room temperature
2. Add Japanese kuzukiri noodles to boiling water and cook until clear. Drain and set aside. 3. Slice scallions diagonally into 5mm (3/16 inch) thick pieces.
4. Separate the stems and the leaves of the chrysanthemum leaves. (If you use the pak choi leaves stems and leaves should be separated before slicing the root into 8 pieces) 5. Roughly cut the Chinese cabbage and slice the firm part of the root.
6. Remove the hard tip of the enoki mushrooms and separate into 8mm (5/16 inch) diameter sheaves. 7. Cut the broiled tofu into pieces lengthwise. Slice into about 5cm (2 inch) wide by 1cm (3/8 inch) thick pieces.
8. Pour water on the boiled Japanese udon noodles and separate to avoid stickiness. 9. Place the above ingredients on a plate.
Directions: 1. On a table, place a pot on a tabletop stove. Boil water in the pot.
2. Using chopsticks soak a slice of beef in the boiling water. Move the chopsticks to wave the beef back and to in the hot water. Do this until the meat turns the pink shade seen in a medium rare steak. Remove the beef, dip into your favorite dipping sauce, and eat before it cools. Warm the vegetables, tofu, and Japanese kuzukiri noodles in the boiling water. Enjoy with dipping sauces. Periodically remove scum from the surface of the liquid to keep clear and tasty.
3. When you have finished the meat and vegetables, warm the Japanese udon noodles in the pot. Enjoy the noodles with the dipping sauce. Noodles with the soup from the pot are also delicious. Add salt and pepper to the soup as you like. The soup with just salt and pepper as seasoning is another popular dish due to its light taste.
Tips: *During the winter in Japan, shabu shabu is as popular a casserole dish as sukiyaki. To enjoy shabu shabu, Japanese people use shabu shabu nabe pots in unique donut shapes which keep the boiling water hot. The pot is also usable as a chiffon cake pan. To purchase this pot as a souvenir, visit any of the kitchenware stores in Kappa-bashi, Tokyo, or main department stores.
Japanese Liquid Measures: 1 cup = 200ml = 6.76 fl oz 1 tablespoon = 15ml = 0.5 fl oz 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl oz