Beef Shabu Shabu

Shabu shabu is a Japanese hot pot similar to sukiyaki. Basically, thinly sliced meat and other ingredients are cooked in a skillet at the table. Meat for shabu shabu is thinner than that for sukiyaki. If it's possible, ask a butcher to slice the tender part of beef into paper-thin slices. Diners swish a slice of meat in the boiling dashi soup, like having it swim in the soup. It's said that the name, shabu shabu, came from this swishing action. It only need to be cooked shortly, saying "shabu shabu." See how to cook and eat shabu shabu.

Ingredients:

• 3 inches dried kombu (kelp)
• 1 lb. hakusai (Chinese cabbage), chopped
• 1/4 lb. negi, diagonally and thinly sliced
• 1 block cotton tofu, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 enoki mushroom, cut in half
• 1/4 lb. carrot, cut into thin round slices
• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin beef, very thinly sliced
• sesame dipping sauce

Preparation:

Fill a deep electric pan or a medium skillet two-thirds full with water. Soak kombu in the water for at least 30 minutes. Arrange the ingredients on a large plate. Set the electric pan, ingredients, and serving bowls with dipping sauce at the table. Heat the water and remove the kombu just before the water comes to a boil. Put a slice of beef in the boiling soup and swish it gently back and forth in the boiling soup until it changes color. Eat the meat, dipping in the sauce. Skim off any foam or impurities (aku) that rise to the surface as you repeat cooking and eating meat. Add other ingredients in the boiling soup and simmer for a few minutes. Eat them dipping in the sauce as well.