Swish, swish is what shabu shabu is all about. Very thinly sliced beef, an array of enoki & shitake mushrooms, bok choy, mung bean sprouts, dashi broth, noodles and highly seasoned sauces are what it is all about.
Just a light and fun hands on meal that feels good all around.
I developed a liking for shabu shabu when I travelled to Japan during my flying years. We would take a nice walk from our layover hotels and go out for dinner at the shabu shabu place down in the alley in Shinjuku. Our hotel was the luxurious Keio Plaza hotel right in the heart of the city. We were close to the Shinjuku train station where you could take a subway just about anywhere in Tokyo. Nowhere else can you feel your body clock overturned (from the US) than when you head west to Japan. That cold Japanese beer just goes down so very easy after you have had a couple hours of nap after a 12+ hour transpacific flight.
Shabu shabu is a japanese dish that you cook at the table. It involves cooking very thinly sliced beef in a mildly seasoned broth (called dashi) along with vegetables. With the addition of each ingredient the broth becomes even more flavored. The dish is traditionally served with two sauces, a sesame sauce (goma) and the other is ponzu sauce. I have tried the similar sukiyaki which is virtually similar but is much sweeter in taste.
Rice is usually served with this dish but you can also serve udon or similar noodles. Once all the meat and vegetables have been cooked and consumed, the broth is divided up among the participants and enjoyed along with the rice or noodles.
To make your own shabu shabu you can use a fondue pot with a sterno can underneath or purchase a table heating element. These I have seen in cooking supply stores or ethnic markets that cater to many asian cuisines. I was out of sterno fuel and tried to use a candle but kept having to heat up the broth..this was a first try at home!
Kombu dashi broth is made by gentle heating water and a 4x6" piece of kombu seaweed till it simmers but not to boiling. Using tongs remove the kombu and discard or let dry for another use later. Add a small packet of bonito flakes (called katsuobushi).
Now these are freeze dried, shaved into little thin slices and packaged.
They will add flavor and nutrition to the broth but you will need to quickly drain your stock and discard so the bonito does not overpower your dashi.
Assemble your vegetables, any of these:
Bok choy, shitaki and enoki mushrooms, shredded savoy cabbage, shredded daikon radish, spring onions (green onions), cubed firm tofu, carrots, cellophane or udon noodles.
Lay out your sliced beef on a plate, cover and chill till you are ready to take to the table.
I cannot remember where I found my recipe for goma, but did a search and found both here. There was no source for these but I will edit here if I locate a source.
Make your 2 sauces:
Sesame Sauce ( Goma ) makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
3 oz. white sesame seeds.
3/4 cup dashi (Japanese broth)
6 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp sake
Procedure:
1. Toast the white sesame seeds over medium heat. Be careful not to burn. Looking for brown color.
2. Grind toasted seeds in a suribachi (Japanese grinding bowl), or coffee grinder.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and dilute with dash (chilled or room temperature, not hot). Stir well as you are adding each ingredients. Smooth out sauce with a spatula.
4. It may be stored up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. However, it is best with it is fresh. Stir before serving, since some of the sesame seeds may settled to the bottom.
Ponzu Sauce
makes about 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup lemon juice or combination of lemon and lime juice.
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 cup dark soy sauce
2 tbsp tamari sauce
3 tbsp mirin
Procedure:
Mix all ingredients together. Taste to adjust the proportion of ingredients.
A suribachi is a Japanese grinding bowl.
I don't have one and have seen them in the stores. Maybe one day I will break down and buy one..and when I do I will also get a Japanese ginger grater. They look like a lot of fun also.
My message to you is to have some fun with your family by doing something out of the ordinary; something a little different but something that involves you as a group like enjoying shabu shabu.
Variety is the spice of life...
bonnie
