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Meat, East Asian

Beef shabu-shabu

Beef shabu-shabu is a Japanese hot pot for 4 people, ready in 45 minutes, easy to make and costing €4.50 per person. You swish thin slices of beef and vegetables in a kombu broth, then dip them in ponzu sauce and sesame sauce. Success comes down to slicing the beef thin and keeping the broth at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil.

Tonight we're doing Japanese hot pot, shabu-shabu, with thin slices of beef you swish in broth and dip in two sauces.

Beef shabu-shabu
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.50
Calories per person
770 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Shabu-shabu gets its name from the sound the beef makes when you swish it in the broth, a little splash that tells you it's almost done cooking. The thinly sliced beef spends just a few seconds in a kombu broth before getting dipped into a tangy ponzu sauce or a richer sesame sauce. Around it, napa cabbage, leeks, ribboned carrots, and mushrooms simmer gently, soaking up the broth's flavor as the meal goes on.

It's a dish meant to be shared at the table, where everyone cooks at their own pace, which makes it a relaxed dinner for a lazy Sunday with family or a casual night with friends. Kids love dunking the meat and vegetables into the broth themselves, and the bowl of udon noodles that closes out the meal, soaked in all those simmered flavors, is always a hit.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef, very thinly sliced 500 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Napa cabbage 300 g
  • Leeks 2
  • Carrots 2
  • White mushrooms 200 g

Dairy

  • Firm tofu 300 g

Pantry

  • Udon noodles 250 g
  • Kombu seaweed 1
  • Sesame paste 3 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 5 tbsp
  • Lemon juiceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp

Allergens Soy, Gluten, Sesame

The step by step recipe

  1. Soak the kombu seaweed in 1.5 liters of cold water while you prep the vegetables. 15 min

    Remove the seaweed as soon as the water starts to simmer, otherwise it turns slimy.

  2. Cut the cabbage into strips, the leeks on a diagonal, the carrots into ribbons, halve the mushrooms, and cube the tofu.

    A vegetable peeler makes neat carrot ribbons that cook in about 1 minute.

  3. Make the ponzu sauce by mixing 3 tbsp soy sauce with the lemon juice, and the sesame sauce by mixing the sesame paste with 2 tbsp soy sauce, the sugar, and a little water.

    Add the water to the sesame paste gradually until the sauce turns creamy.

  4. Bring the broth to a simmer in the middle of the table, and start with the vegetables and tofu. 8 min

    Keep the simmer gentle, a hard boil toughens the meat.

  5. Cook the beef slices for a few seconds, dip them in the sauces, then finish the meal by cooking the udon noodles in the broth. 8 min

    The broth, enriched by everything that's simmered in it, tastes amazing, it's the best part of the meal.

Our tips to get it right

  • Ask your butcher to slice the beef paper thin, or freeze the meat for 30 minutes before slicing it yourself with a knife, you'll get much cleaner cuts.
  • Lay out all the raw ingredients on large platters before sitting down, the meal then flows continuously without trips back to the kitchen.
  • Keep a tabletop burner or electric hot plate going so the broth stays at a gentle simmer the whole meal.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for thinly sliced pork or peeled shrimp for a change of pace.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the beef and double the tofu, the kombu broth stays just as flavorful with the vegetables alone.
  • For a quicker meal with kids, stick to just beef, mushrooms, and udon, and serve only the sesame sauce, which is milder than the ponzu.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed white rice on the side
  • Hot green tea during the meal
  • Japanese pickles to start

Storage

Prepped raw vegetables keep for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container. The broth freezes well once cooled, but avoid freezing already cooked beef, which loses its texture. Reheat the broth gently over low heat and bring the sauces back to room temperature before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can I skip the kombu seaweed if I can't find it?

You can use a light, unsalted chicken broth instead. It will taste less briny but the hot pot principle stays exactly the same.

How do I slice the beef as thin as restaurant versions?

Freeze the meat for 30 minutes before slicing, it firms up and cuts much more cleanly. A sharp knife makes all the difference here.

Can I prep the vegetables and sauces ahead of time?

Yes, you can chop the vegetables and make both sauces the day before. Keep everything covered in the fridge and let the sauces sit out briefly before serving.

Can I use a different type of tofu instead of firm?

Avoid silken tofu, it would fall apart in the broth. Firm tofu holds its shape during cooking and soaks up the flavors nicely.

How long does it take to make a beef shabu-shabu?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a beef shabu-shabu?

About 770 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a beef shabu-shabu cost?

About €4.50 per serving, or €18.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten, sesame. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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