Shabu Shabu

Before You Start...

1. 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.
2. Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare the Broth

1. Fill 1 large donabe clay pot (or Dutch oven or any large pot) two-thirds full of water. Add 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and soak in the water for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the other ingredients. The right image shows the kombu dashi broth 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 Ingredients

1. Prepare the udon noodles according to the instructions. Reheat 1 serving udon noodles (still frozen) in boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer the noodles to iced water to stop the cooking and drain well. Place on a plate and set aside. You‘ll end the meal with the udon course after you‘ve cooked and eaten all the other ingredients.
2. Cut 8 leaves napa cabbage into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces, and then cut each piece in half or into thirds.
3. Cut ½ bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces.
4. We only use the white part of 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (or the leek or green onions). Cut it diagonally into pieces ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
5. Rinse 1 package enoki mushrooms and 1 package shimeji mushrooms. Discard the root ends of both mushrooms and separate them into smaller chunks.
6. Cut off the stems of 4 shiitake mushrooms and make a decorative cutting on the cap (optional).
7. Cut 2 inches carrot into ¼-inch rounds. If you‘d like, you can use a vegetable cutter to create a flower shape.
8. Cut 1 package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) into square pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
9. Arrange all the ingredients on a serving platter. 
10. Peel 2 inches daikon radish and grate it (I use a ceramic grater). Squeeze the grated daikon gently to remove most of the liquid and put it into a small bowl.  
11. Cut 2 green onions/scallions into thin rounds and put it in a bowl.
12. Prepare shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) in a bowl (optional). Lay the thinly sliced beef on a plate.

To Cook the Shabu Shabu

1. 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 like to prepare an additional bowl for each person so they can use it to cool the food. 
2. 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).
3. Add the tofu, tough parts of napa cabbage and shungiku, negi, carrots, and some mushrooms. You don’t have to put all the ingredients in at once; you may cook in batches if you prefer. Cover to cook for 10 minutes.

To Eat the Shabu Shabu

1. 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. 
2. When you‘re ready to eat the meat, pick up a piece of 1 lb thinly sliced beef (chuck or ribeye) with a set of communal chopsticks and stir or “swish“ the meat in the boiling broth. Cook for 20–30 seconds or until the meat is no longer pink; be careful not to overcook it.
3. Take out the cooked beef and vegetables from the pot when they are done and dip the food in the ponzu or sesame sauce.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the boiling broth as needed and simmer for a few minutes. Skim off the scum and foam from the surface as you cook. Prepare a fine-mesh skimmer and a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl filled with water at the table so you can easily skim as you cook. The water in the measuring cup will help you clean the skimmer. We want to keep the broth as clean as possible.
5. When all the ingredients are cooked, skim the broth one last time to prepare for the udon noodles. Typically, a hot pot meal ends with cooking udon noodles or porridge.
6. 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).
7. Dilute the individual bowls of ponzu sauce with the broth and serve the udon noodles in each bowl.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month.