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Shabu Shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) is a Japanese hot pot dish, Nabemono, with paper-thin sliced beef. It is cooked at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and we eat it as we cook. There are a lot of Shabu Shabu speciality restaurants in Japan, but you can prepare it at home too. The single most important ingredient of the dish is beef. If you can get good quality meat, therestis not hard at all.
The origin of Shabu Shabu is said to be whena restaurant in Osaka started serving it in the 1950s. It is like Mizutaki and it is still cooked and eaten at the dinner table, but you don’t pack the pot with meat or fish and vegetables like other Nabemono. You dip verythin slices of beef in hot Kombu broth and swirl them around a few seconds. Then you eat the hot meat with sauce. Other kinds of thin meat or fish can be cooked in the same way (and still called Shabu Shabu), such as pork, crab, and blowfish, but beef Shabu Shabu is the most popular one of all.
The cuts of beef could be sirloin, rib eye, chuck eye roll, etc. It depends on how much you would like to spend. The key ofchoosing the meat iswhetherit’s marbled well with fat. You may like to eat beef without fat for your steak, but for Shabu Shabu, you need some fat in the meat for tenderness and flavor. Because the beef is barely cooked by dipping in hot broth, meat quality should not be compromised. There are many kinds of branded beef in regions throughoutJapan, such as the famous Kobe beef, that could cost $20 or moreper 100g (3-4 oz – that’s over $80 per pound!). Nowimagine how expensive it would be to eat at good Shabu Shabu restaurants with their mark-ups!
If you have access to Japanese grocery stores, that’s great, they usually carry sliced beef prepared just for Shabu Shabu. You could ask local butcher shop for special cuts, but it may or may not work. You can also try cutting at home by slicing half-frozen beef with a meat slicer or by hand. Cut slowly and be careful not to cut yourself!
We made sesame dipping sauce here, which is a typical sauce for Shabu Shabu. This rich and deep flavor from ground sesame complements well thesomewhat simply prepared meat and vegetables. However, you can use Ponzu Sauce for a more refreshing taste if you prefer. We used only a few kinds of vegetables to focus more on beef. If you would like to have more vegetables, just add to it. Read our Mizutaki recipe to know more about Japanese vegetables for a hot pot.
If you have anyspecial occasions or just want to celebrate an everyday dinner, get nice beef and havetasty Shabu Shabu at home!
Print Recipe
Shabu Shabu Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: beef, hot pot, shabu shabu
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Ingredients
- 10 cm Kombu dried kelp
- 1500 ml water
- 3 Tbsp Sake
- 300 g beef sliced very thinly
- 6 leaves nappa cabbage
- 3 white long onions
- 6 Shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 bunch Kikuna or Shungiku edible chrysanthemum leaves
Shabu Shabu dipping sauce
- 4 Tbsp ground sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Miso Paste
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients of the dipping sauce. Set aside.
In a pot, put dried Kombu in the water, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Cut meat into the size you like. Cut cabbage into 2″ width pieces, slice white long onion diagonally, cut off the stems of Shiitake mushrooms, and cut Kikuna (Shungiku) into 2″ length pieces.
Heat the pot at medium high heat until the water boils, then take the Kombu out. Turn down the heat to medium low. Add Sake.
Dip the meat in the simmering broth until the color turns pink. Cook meat and vegetables as you eat.
About JapaneseCooking101
Noriko and Yuko, the authors of this site, are both from Japan but now live in California. They love cooking and eating great food, and share a similar passion for home cooking using fresh ingredients.Noriko and Yuko plan and develop recipes together for Japanese Cooking 101. They cook and shoot photos/videos at their home kitchen(s.)
FAQs
The main difference between shabu shabu and other types of Japanese hot pot is that rather than simmering all of the ingredients together before serving, shabu shabu is cooked bite-by-bite over the course of the meal, similar to fondue.
What is shabu shabu broth made of? ›
The name "shabu-shabu" comes from the sound of the ingredients being swished around in the boiling broth. To eat shabu-shabu, you'll need a pot of boiling broth (usually made with a combination of water, dashi, soy sauce, and other seasonings), a burner, and a set of chopsticks or tongs.
What vegetables are used in shabu shabu? ›
Shabu-Shabu Vegetables
The ones most commonly used are Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves, negi (Japanese scallions), carrots, enoki mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. You can also add tofu if you wish.
What cut of beef is used for shabu shabu? ›
The dish is usually made with thinly sliced beef, but some versions use pork, crab, chicken, lamb, duck, or lobster. Most often, ribeye steak is used, but less tender cuts, such as top sirloin, are also common. A more expensive breed of cattle, such as Wagyu, may also be used.
What meat is good for shabu shabu? ›
Tips for delicious Shabu Shabu. Top quality Japanese style restaurants generally serve brand Wagyu beef, but in fact we can enjoy Shabu Shabu with any kind of meat. Sliced pork shoulder loin or ribs, lamb, or even chicken is possible. However, beef and pork would be the most common.
What is shabu called in English? ›
Methamphetamine hydro- chloride, a type of ampheta- mine is also known as “poor man's cocaine.” Other names are “shabu,” “ubas,” “siopao,” “sha,” and “ice.” SouRCE. This chemical substance is being smuggled into the country by drug traffickers, and syndicates.
What does shabu shabu mean in english? ›
noun. sha·bu-sha·bu ˈshä-bü-ˈshä-bü : a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked briefly in simmering broth at the table.
What does shabu mean in Japanese? ›
Probably ultimately from Japanese シャブ (“stimulant: amphetamine, methamphetamine”), in turn possibly from the verb しゃぶる (shaburu, “to suck on something”), from the way that the addictiveness of the drugs sucks in the user.
Do you drink the broth in shabu shabu? ›
Simmering the Broth
- Wait for the broth your server brings you to come to a boil. ...
- Lower the heat and simmer the broth once it starts to boil. ...
- Don't drink the broth while you're waiting for your meat and vegetables.
You can drink the broth throughout your meal or save it until the end when it's soaked up all the lovely flavours from your ingredients. Remember, it's a communal meal, so don't be greedy! Share out the food and enjoy the experience together.
Delicate slices of wagyu beef are delicious in shabu shabu and create a deep umami flavour that pairs wonderfully with a full bodied whisky. The Kurayoshi Heritage co*cktail, a ginger whisky sour bursting with earthy, spicy flavours, is the ideal accompaniment to something as rich and delicious as shabu shabu.
What dish is similar to shabu shabu? ›
Sukiyaki is similar to shabu shabu, as it is also cooked in a hot pot and uses similar ingredients like tofu and vegetables.
What vegetables are best in a hotpot? ›
Hot Pot Ingredient List. Hearty and leafy, look for greens that retain texture after cooking like bok choy, watercress, snow pea leaves, Napa cabbage, Chinese spinach, gai lan and green onions. Look for daikon, carrots, small potatoes and either cut into cubes or thinly sliced.
Is Shabu Korean or Japanese? ›
This particular way of eating hot pot dining originated in Osaka during the 1950s but has since spread all across Japan and even to other countries. It gets its name from the Japanese onomatopoeia for “swish, swish,” as each piece of meat is lightly swished around in boiling broth before eating.
How is Hotpot made? ›
Hot pot is a flavorful broth traditionally served inside a large metal pot. The broth is brought to a boil and left simmering for the duration of the meal. Raw ingredients, such as meat and vegetables, are placed into the simmering broth and thus cooked.
How to make meat for hotpot? ›
Carefully cut each slab of meat into 1-2 mm slices. We want thin slices of meat, since it's very important that these meats are able to cook quickly in our boiling hot pot. As long as these meats have been partially thawed, these steps are pretty easy.
How thick should shabu shabu be? ›
The only difference is that shabu shabu meat needs to be able to cook in a much shorter time, so it is sliced very thinly (approx. 1mm in width). Sukiyaki has more time to cook, so the meat thickness typically ranges between 1.5-3mm.
