Ingredients
Broth
- 2 litreswater
- a 15 cm piece of kombu
Beef
- 700 gwell-marbled beef sirloin or ribeye, sliced paper thin
Vegetables
- half a napa cabbage
- 1 bunchshungiku, chrysanthemum greens
- 300 gshiitake and enoki mushrooms
- 1leek or negi
- 300 gfirm tofu
- 200 gshirataki noodles
Ponzu dip
- 100 mlsoy sauce
- 80 mlcitrus juice, yuzu or lemon
- 50 mlmirin
- a piece of kombu
- 1 tbspbonito flakes
Sesame dip
- 4 tbsptahini or Japanese sesame paste
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbspmirin
- 1 tbsprice vinegar
- 1 tspsugar
- dashi, to loosen
Condiments
- grated daikon
- sliced spring onion
- grated ginger
- yuzu kosho
- momiji oroshi
To finish
- udon noodles, or rice and egg for zosui
Equipment
- a portable burner and a wide shallow pot
Directions
- Soak the kombu in the cold water for at least 30 minutes, and several hours is better. Now heat it slowly and take it out just before the water boils.
- Lay the beef out on a platter in overlapping folds and keep it cold until the moment it is used.
- Cut the cabbage into wide pieces and the leek diagonally, and trim the mushrooms.
- Make both dipping sauces and put them in individual bowls. Set out the condiments so each person can adjust their own bowl.
- Keep it at a simmer throughout, never a rolling boil, which toughens everything. Each person takes one slice of beef with chopsticks and swishes it back and forth through the broth.
- Dip it in a sauce and eat it immediately, then cook the next one. Add the vegetables and tofu to the pot as you go, since they take longer and can sit in the broth.
- Skim the surface occasionally as the meat releases scum. Skim it, because the broth is going to be eaten at the end and it should stay clean.
Technique
- Pork shabu-shabu is common and cheaper, and it is cooked slightly longer than beef.
- Sukiyaki is the sweeter soy-braised relative and is a different dish.
- Crab and snapper versions are made in coastal regions.
Substitutions
- Pre-sliced hotpot beef from a Japanese or Korean shop.
- Tahini in place of Japanese sesame paste, which is close.
Variations
- Pork shabu-shabu, buta shabu.
- With crab, kani shabu.
- Served cold in summer, as rei-shabu.
History
A hot pot dish in which thinly sliced meat and vegetables are briefly swished through a pot of simmering broth at the table until just cooked, then dipped in a sesame or citrus-based sauce, its name an onomatopoeia describing the swishing sound made while cooking the meat, developed in Japan during the mid-1900s. Its extremely brief cooking time for each thin slice of meat, just a few seconds of swishing rather than extended simmering, reflects a Japanese culinary preference for preserving the meat’s natural texture and flavour as much as possible, distinguishing shabu-shabu from the longer-simmered sukiyaki despite both being communal hot pot dishes. Shabu-shabu remains a popular dish across Japan, particularly enjoyed as a shared, interactive meal during colder months.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shabu-shabu?
Shabu-shabu is a main from Japan: paper-thin beef swished through kombu broth, dipped in ponzu or sesame. A hot pot dish in which thinly sliced meat and vegetables are briefly swished through a pot of simmering broth at the table until just cooked, then dipped in a sesame or citrus-based sauce, its name an onomatopoeia describing the swishing sound made while cooking the meat, developed in Japan during the mid-1900s. Its extremely brief cooking time for each thin slice of meat, just a few seconds of swishing rather than extended simmering, reflects a Japanese culinary preference for preserving the meat’s natural texture and flavour as much as possible, distinguishing shabu-shabu from the longer-simmered sukiyaki despite both being communal hot pot dishes. Shabu-shabu remains a popular dish across Japan, particularly enjoyed as a shared, interactive meal during colder months.
How long does Shabu-shabu take to make?
Shabu-shabu takes 30 min of preparation and at the table of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Shabu-shabu?
Yes, within limits. Pre-sliced hotpot beef from a Japanese or Korean shop. Tahini in place of Japanese sesame paste, which is close.
What is the most important thing to get right in Shabu-shabu?
Keep it at a simmer throughout, never a rolling boil, which toughens everything. Each person takes one slice of beef with chopsticks and swishes it back and forth through the broth.
