00:00Keep it in beef, a steaming pot and a 3 second swish, ponzu and creamy sesame and your chopsticks
00:06won't stop. Ready to build your hot pot? Printable version of this recipe is available on my website,
00:14simply google shabu shabu stachi to grab yours. Let's start by soaking about 5 to 10 grams of
00:20dried kombu kelp in 1 liter of water. This is the subtle foundation of a shabu shabu broth.
00:27You can soak this for as little as 30 minutes. While that kombu rehydrates, we'll set ourselves
00:34up properly. Wash, cut and arrange everything on plates or trays so it can go straight to the table.
00:42Prepping is everything for shabu shabu to be honest. My version serves 4 and we're using
00:48200 grams of napa cabbage, 100 grams of shunriku, 50 grams of carrot, 100 grams of bean sprouts,
00:563 shiitake mushrooms and 100 grams of enoki mushrooms. The carrots are our only tricky ingredient
01:05here because they take longer to cook so we'll need to slice them really thin. Everything else
01:11just gets cut into bite-sized pieces or left whole. We've also got optional 50 grams thin glass noodles,
01:19cooked udon of 200 grams and optional toasted kirimochi rice cakes, 2 to 4 pieces.
01:27Now before you panic, you absolutely do not need to get all these. The quantities I'm using are just
01:33estimates and those udon and mochi are completely optional. Adjust the amounts based on how many people
01:40you're serving. Swap ingredients based on what's available at your market. Mix and match however you like.
01:47For the glass noodles, ideally choose ones that cook really fast because the whole point is to swish
01:54them through bubbling broth and lift them right back out. Mine today are a bit thick so they need
02:00to be parboiled beforehand. Next, let's cube up our firm tofu, about 100 grams worth. Doesn't have to be firm
02:10if you prefer silken. And if you're doing finishing noodles like udon soba or kishimen, have them
02:17partially cooked ahead of time or simply use the frozen type so they're ready to warm through at the end.
02:25Now let's talk about the start of the show, the meat. Take your meat out of the fridge about 20
02:31minutes
02:31before cooking. Speaking of meat, while we're most often used beef today, in particular regions, people
02:39use thinnest rice pork too. In a survey, it came in at 43.8%. That's the closest split than you
02:47might expect.
02:48In my area, beef is almost always a norm. If you're using beef, you've got some excellent cut options.
02:56Chakai roll, rib eye roll, sirloin, bottom round. All sliced into 1-2mm, basically paper thin,
03:06even thinner than sukiyaki cuts. This is my chakai roll that I got from a local butcher. It's so fragile.
03:13But it doesn't stop there. Yellowtail is incredibly popular too. We call it burishabu. You use thinly
03:21sliced sashimi grade, yellowtail, and it's absolutely divine. Now, normally I wouldn't do this, but since
03:29I want to show you all the options, I've got beef, pork, and yellowtail all ready to go. About 400
03:36grams in total. Oh, and just so you know, Hokkaido also has lamb shabu shabu, but that's for some other
03:42time. Now, let's make our dipping sauces. Shabu shabu isn't complete without two essential dipping
03:49sauces. Creamy sesame and tangy ponzu. The Japanese way is to enjoy both, not choose one over the other,
03:56but realistically, you can at home. For the sesame sauce, we'll mix two tablespoons of sesame paste
04:03with one tablespoon of soy sauce, two tablespoons of rice vinegar, half tablespoon of miso paste,
04:09two tablespoons of sugar. Mix it until it's completely smooth and creamy. It seems very rich
04:16and a lot at this point, but remember, as you dip the meat straight from the pot,
04:21it will get watered down all the time, so we need some extra to add as we go.
04:27For the ponzu, you can use store-boiled, but if you're interested in making your own, you can.
04:34Now, divide these sauces so each person has two individual bowls, one with sesame sauce and one
04:42with ponzu. This is key. Everyone gets there on set. That's not the end. Let's prepare what I call
04:50flavor boosters for the sauces. For the sesame sauce, set out grated garlic, chopped garlic chives,
04:57and chili oil. For the ponzu, we want grated daikon and chopped green onions. This is actually part of
05:05the fun. As you eat, you can keep changing the flavor profile of your sauces to keep things interesting.
05:12Adding the day shabu-shabu itself is almost plain. Alright, once the kombu has rehydrated and soaked
05:20for at least 30 minutes, let's add three tablespoons of sake and some yuzu peel to the pot.
05:28Sake adds subtle depth, but if you don't have it, it's perfectly fine to omit it. I don't recommend
05:34swapping with other liquids for this. Place the pot on the stove and bring it almost to a boil,
05:41but don't let it fully boil yet. Just as you see those first bubbles, remove the kombu. You can
05:48either discard it or save it to make kombu rice balls. Let the broth bubble for a few minutes, then
05:55set your heat to medium. Remove the yuzu peel and now you're finally ready to start cooking.
06:02These days, casual or you can eat shabu-shabu spots everywhere, but proper shabu-shabu is essentially
06:08a multi-course meal that happens in a single pot. That's what I'm teaching you today.
06:15Course 1. Tasting the meat
06:17Let's start with what I call the appreciation course. This first step is all about tasting the
06:24quality of the beef on its own and it also adds some fat and meaty essence to the broth. That'll
06:30make
06:30everything else taste even better. Each person should take one beautiful slice of protein.
06:38Now, hold it with your chopsticks and swish it back and forth in the bubbling broth.
06:44It cooks in little seconds and we want it just about cooked. Be careful not to leave it in too
06:50long or
06:51you'll overcook it. Once it's done, pull it out, let it drip for just a moment, then dip in in
06:59either
06:59the sesame or ponzu sauce. On the other hand, swish longer to cook properly if you use pork instead.
07:08Take the first bite and really savour it. This is what shabu-shabu is all about. Simple,
07:16high-quality ingredients prepared with care. Okay, now the yellowtail. I personally think yellowtail
07:26works a lot better with ponzu. Just so you know, don't use up all of your protein here. Keep it
07:33one slice for this stage. From this point on, you want to maintain the broth at around 70 to 80
07:41degrees
07:41Celsius. That's a gentle simmer where you see small bubbles steadily breaking the surface, but it's not a boil.
07:49Code 2. Enjoy meat with vegetables and tofu. Now that we've appreciated the beef on its own,
07:58let's add carrot, mushrooms, napa cabbage and tofu to the pot. We're starting with the vegetables that
08:05take longer to cook. Here's where the meal becomes interactive and social. While those vegetables are
08:13simmering and softening, everyone can continue cooking and enjoying more beef. Just swish dip and
08:21savour, but try to pace yourself with the meat, space it out, or you'll run out before the vegetables
08:27have finished cooking, and then you'll be sitting there sadly watching everyone else enjoy their beef.
08:34Also, do not fight over the meat. If you've got friends or family who tend to get a little
08:40competitive around meat, stock up extra before they arrive.
08:45As the vegetables soften to your preference, and everyone has their own preference, take them out
08:51and enjoy them with your choice of sauce. Try different combinations. This is your chance to experiment.
08:59Once you've got more space in the pot, add the bean sprouts and shungiku. These leafy,
09:05delicate vegetables cook much faster. Let them simmer for just a few minutes, then eat up until there's
09:12nothing left in the pot. Now, as you keep dipping ingredients in your sauces throughout the meal,
09:20they're going to get watered down. The ponzu sauce is easy, just top it up with more ponzu.
09:27For the sesame sauce, if it gets too watery, replace it with a fresh bowl,
09:31the creamy texture of the sesame sauce is half the appeal.
09:36And don't forget, as you're eating, try adding those flavour boosters we prepared.
09:41Maybe add some grated garlic to your sesame sauce, or stir in some daikon oroshi to your ponzu for extra
09:49heat.
09:49Keep changing it up to make the meal more interesting.
09:54Course 3, glass noodles.
09:56Alright, now for a fun little interlude. Give each person a portion of those clear glass noodles we prepared.
10:05Hold them carefully with your chopsticks and swish them in the broth until they're cooked.
10:11Once they're cooked, pour them out and dip them in your choice of sauce.
10:16These slippery little noodles are delightful with a subtle flavour that really takes on whatever sauce
10:23you pair them with.
10:24Course 4, the finishing course, shime.
10:27We've reached the grand finale, what's called the shime in Japanese, the finishing course.
10:34This is a beloved tradition in Japanese hoppo in general.
10:38Using every last bit of that flavourful broth that's now enriched with all the meat and vegetables we've been cooking.
10:46First, let's clean up the broth. Use a mashed spoon to scoop out any scum that's formed on top
10:52and fish out any lost ingredients or broken vegetable bits.
10:56We want a clean, beautiful broth for the finale.
11:00Now, divide the broth into individual serving bowls.
11:04Of course, here's the thing. This broth is still very mild in taste because we start with just kombudashi.
11:10So, season it generously with salt and pepper to your taste. Take a little sip on its own to test
11:15it.
11:16Some people prefer to add soy sauce or ponzu instead, which also adds a nice depth.
11:22There's no wrong answers here.
11:25While you're doing that, add your cooked udon, soba, or kishime noodles to the remaining broth in the pot,
11:32along with the toasted mochi if you're using it. Just warm everything through.
11:37Divide the noodles and mochi between each serving bowl of seasoned broth, garnished with chopped green onions.
11:49And there you have it. From nothing but kombu and water, we've created this entire multi-course experience.
11:56I won't sugarcoat it. The prep takes effort. But when you sit down, cook, and eat together with your friends
12:02and family, there's nothing quite like it.
12:08Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
12:14That's a wrap. You can find the full printable version of this recipe on my website, linked right here on
12:20the screen.
12:21If you enjoyed this, check out my beef playlist too. See you then!
