Recipe: Shabu Shabu

Ingredients:

2 pounds prime quality, well-marbled beef, cut into paper-thin slices, each slice measuring 8 by 3 inches (freezing the meat for 20 minutes will facilitate slicing meat)

12 shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and wiped clean, halved, if large

6 long onions, or 8 to 10 scallions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch lengths

2 cakes tofu, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares

6 leaves Napa or Chinese cabbage, shredded

1 cup grated giant white radish

1/2 cup minced scallion

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

Dipping Sauces:
Soy-Ginger Sauce, recipe follows
Ponzu or Lemon or Kalamansi

Procedure:

Arrange the meat slices and vegetables separately on large round platters.

Fill the casserole or fondue pot about 2/3 full with chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Each eater picks up meat and vegetables and "swishes" (shabu shabu) back and forth in the pot until cooked to desired doneness.

Dip meat and vegetables in dipping sauces.

When foam rises to the top, skim it off with a ladle or spoon.

The broth can be eaten as a soup after meat has been eaten.

Soy-Ginger Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
Yield: 1 cup