Sukiyaki (すき焼き)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow iron sukiyaki pan, or a wide heavy skillet
• •Portable table burner
• •Long cooking chopsticks or tongs
• •Individual small bowls for beaten egg
• •Large serving platter for arranged ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Make warishita

   Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and dashi in a small pot. Warm just until the sugar dissolves, then taste. It should be sweet and salty in clear balance, stronger than soup because the tofu, noodles, and greens will soften it in the pan.

2. 2

   Prepare the tofu

   Drain the tofu well and cut it into sturdy pieces. If you have time, brown the tofu lightly in a dry pan or under a grill. This firms the surface so it can sit in the simmer without breaking, and it gives the warishita something to cling to.

3. 3

   Rinse shirataki

   Rinse the shirataki under running water, then parboil for two minutes and drain well. This removes the alkaline smell from the package. Keep the noodles away from the raw beef on the platter, since shirataki can toughen meat when they sit together before cooking.

4. 4

   Set the table

   Arrange the beef, tofu, shirataki, negi, mushrooms, and greens on separate sections of a platter. Set a shallow iron sukiyaki pan or wide heavy skillet on a portable burner. Give each person rice and, if using, a small bowl with one pasteurized egg to beat lightly at the table.

5. 5

   Sear first beef

   Heat the pan over medium heat and rub it with the beef fat. Lay in three or four slices of beef and let them color briefly on one side. This first sear perfumes the pan and rewards the cook at once, but stop while the meat is still tender. Thin beef has no patience for lectures.

6. 6

   Add warishita

   Pour in enough warishita to cover the bottom of the pan by about 1/2 inch. Add a few pieces each of tofu, negi, shiitake, shirataki, and greens, keeping them in loose groups rather than stirring everything together. The shallow liquid seasons boldly without turning the pot into soup.

7. 7

   Simmer gently

   Keep the pan at a gentle simmer. Turn tofu and vegetables once as they cook, and add beef slices in small batches so each piece just loses its raw color. If the liquid reduces too sharply, add a splash of dashi or water. If it tastes weak, add a little more warishita.

8. 8

   Eat in rounds

   Serve directly from the pan as each ingredient is ready. Dip hot pieces through the beaten egg if using, then eat with rice. Continue adding ingredients in rounds, keeping the pot uncrowded. The last bites should taste deeper than the first, not saltier.

Chef Tips

• •Sourcing first. Ask for beef sliced specifically for sukiyaki, about 1 to 2 millimeters thick, with visible marbling. If the beef is too thick, change the dish or slice it half-frozen at home with a very sharp knife.
• •Warishita is not a heavy sauce. It is a seasoning broth. Keep it shallow in the pan so the ingredients simmer and glaze, not swim.
• •Raw egg is the usual dip in Japan, but use pasteurized eggs where raw eggs are a safety concern. If you leave it out, serve honestly and don't pretend it is the same texture.
• •For Kansai style, heat beef fat in the pan, sear a few slices of beef, sprinkle lightly with sugar, then touch with soy sauce and sake before adding vegetables. It is a little more hands-on, and very good when the beef is excellent.
• •Shungiku is the winter green I want here, faintly bitter and fragrant. If you can't find it, napa cabbage is a sensible stand-in, milder but faithful to the pot's balance.

Advance Preparation

• •Warishita can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Warm it gently before serving so the sugar is fully dissolved.
• •Vegetables, tofu, and shirataki can be prepared several hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Slice or unwrap the beef just before cooking so it stays cold and clean.
• •If making dashi for the warishita, prepare it up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. For this dish, a simple konbu dashi is enough if katsuobushi is not wanted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 705g)