Shabu Shabu Salad

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Cook the Shabu Shabu Pork

1. Bring a medium pot of 2 cups water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 Tbsp sake and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and reduce the heat to low and maintain a simmer.
2. One slice at a time, cook ½ lb thinly sliced pork loin in the simmering water until no longer pink. Do not overcook. As soon as the color changes, take it out.
3. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Continue cooking the rest of the meat. Try not to put in all the meat at once. It will overcook and the meat slices will clump together. Let cool on the counter until the meat is at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill.

To Make the Dressing

1. Please Note: If you‘d like to pour extra dressing at the table, you may want to double the recipe. The dressing ingredients are measured for the exact amount for this recipe. Peel the skin of 1 knob ginger and grate until you have ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice). Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), and ½ tsp sugar.
3. Now, add the grated ginger, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds.
4. Whisk together until the sugar is completely dissolved. You can pour the dressing into a serving container (optional).

To Make the Green Salad

1. Cut 4 oz mizuna (Japanese mustard green) into 2-inch pieces and put them into a large bowl.
2. Remove the core of 5 oz iceberg lettuce and then cut into julienned pieces.
3. Cut off the ends of 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Then, thinly slice the halves diagonally.
4. Thinly slice ½ red onion against the grain. Then, transfer it to iced water and soak for 5 minutes to remove the bitterness and make the onion crisp. Drain well.
5. Combine the mizuna, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, and onion in a large bowl and toss together. If you have time, chill the salad for 30 minutes.

To Serve

1. Cut 1 tomato into wedges.
2. Serve the salad on a plate, topped with the cooked pork and tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy! Alternatively, you can add the pork and dressing to the bowl and toss all together before plating. This is my preferred serving style; however, the classic Shabu Shabu Salad is typically constructed with layers of salad and pork, topped with the dressing.

To Store

1. You can prepare and store this dish ahead of time. Keep the salad, pork, and dressing separately until you‘re ready to serve. You can keep it for 24 hours. The dressing can be made ahead and kept in an airtight jar for up to a week.