Nope, never been to Japan, but I do love me some Japanese food. Since the Honda plant moved to central Ohio in the 1980s, bringing with it loads of Japanese executives, and their wives clamoring for Japanese ingredients (and yes, my feminist friends, it really was the male executive and their stay-at-home wives), I was lucky enough to get in on that authentic Japanese food action. Still to this day, (probably because I have not been to Japan) the best sashimi I have ever had was at an amazing restaurant in a strip mall in Columbus, Ohio (not kidding).
While my husband has traveled to Asia and Japan dozens of times and eaten in shabu shabu restaurants I sadly, have not. So I made my own shabu shabu set-up here in North Carolina last night for some friends. It was a delight. And delicious. And healthy. And FUN because it is all served at the table.
And you should try it.
You need either a hot plate or a large fondu pot or a griddle to do this at the table.
1 & 1/2 pound sirloin beef roast
2, four inch pieces Kombu (seaweed, find it in Asian or health food stores)
12 cups water
1 bunch enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated
12 shittake mushroms, quartered
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
1/2 Nappa cabbage, chopped
1 block firm tofu, cubed and drained between paper towels
Sauces (see recipes below)
1) Wrap the roast in plastic wrap or foil and stick in the freezer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place the kombu in with the water and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 30 minutes, then take out the kombu and discard. This broth is called dashi.
2) Remove the roast from the freezer, unwrap and slice with the sharpest knife you have, in as thin slices as possible (optimally 1/16th of an inch). If you have a butcher friend, ask him or her to do this for you. Have all the vegetables and tofu chopped and presented prettily on platters, as well as the meat.
3) When you friends arrive, have the broth simmering at the table (in fondu, griddle or hot plate). Serve some decent Prosecco or champagne (cheers!) and have them plop the vegetables and tofu into the broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then have guests take thin slices of meat in chopsticks and dunk into the hot broth– swishing it back and forth for about 30 seconds, until just poached. Dip into sauce and enjoy. Don’t forget the vegetables, too : )
Sauce:
Buy Ponzu sauce (soy and citrus)
Make mustard sauce: 3 parts Dijon, 1 part wasabi, 2 parts mayo, 1/4 part sesame oil– whisk together
Make Thai sauce: Equal parts, lime juice, brown sugar and fish sauce (chopped jalapeno is a nice addition, too)– shake and serve
Make Creamy Sambal Oelek sauce: 2 parts mayo, 1 part sambal oelek, 1/2 part agave nectar– stir until smooth