Shabu Shabu Time: Have a Dinner Party with friends!

There's a great community monthly sale that occurs here every first Saturday of the month called Pay N Take!  I am all about recycling everything.  What one person wishes to be rid of, another needs.  I love shopping here - I find great gifts for people, great tools and things I need in the house - and I ALWAYS find great cookware items. Although we didn't see much of interest at first, I decided to take my usual "second peruse" and came upon a brand new (or barely used), high quality Japanese Hot Pot Steamboat for $5!  Perfect for Shabu Shabu - or, as I like to call it, JAPANESE FONDUE! 

WHAT IS SHABU SHABU - Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ , also spelled shyabu-shyabu?) is a Japanese dish featuring thinly sliced beef boiled in water. The term is an onomatopœia, derived from the sound emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style: Both consist of thinly sliced meat and vegetables and served with dipping sauces. However, Shabu-shabu is considered to be more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki.

WHY I LIKE SHABU SHABU 
I love Shabu Shabu because it's easy, interactive and a great way to have dinner with friends or family!  I don't really have to cook - all I have to do is prep vegetables and whatever else I want to put into the broth.  And I the love dips that are the typical fare with Shabu Shabu! They are the key to having a great experience with Shabu Shabu.  When you remove the food from the hot pot you dip them these fabulously flavorful dips and then plunk them into your mouth!  They are not complicated dips but simple and tasty! 

Ingedients
 
For easy instructions please see this link for details and instructions… a great reference for Shabu Shabu. Below I have provided a listing of basic ingredients and directions only. 

The key is to use a variety of vegetables that you have in the fridge.  You place your broth into the hot pot and allow it to boil. The broth can be a simple miso-based broth with grated garlic and ginger with some sea greens or just plain water - it doesn't have to be hard or complicated!  
Once the broth boils, then add your ingredients bit by bit. Be flexible with yourself… use what you have on hand.  I also used tofu as my vegan option.   Dip your proteins into the hot pot last - and only for a few seconds (Tofu being the exception. I place it in the pot with the veggies and allow it to cook for a few minutes).  Remove your veggies & proteins and dip them into your dips for some great eating.  

FOR SHABU SHABU INGREDIENTS:

• 3 inch dried 'kombu' seaweed (see link for directions for broth - this is removed before the broth is served and used for cooking ingredients)
• 1/2 head of napa cabbage, washed and cut
• 1/2 bunch ‘shungiku’ (Tong Hao, Garland Chrysanthemum), washed and cut
• 1 pkg enoki mushrooms, stalks removed and pulled apart
• 8 shiitake mushrooms, stem removed
• 2 inch carrot, peeled and cut into thin round slices
• 1 pkg shimeji mushrooms, stalks removed and pulled apart
• 1 block medium/firm tofu, cut into 1.5 inch square
• 1 Tokyo Negi, washed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces (can be substitute with leeks)
• 1 ½ - 2 lb sirloin beef (or pork loin), sliced very thinly, or buy pre-sliced ‘shabu shabu’ meat
• 1 pkg udon (I like Sanuki brand Udon)
• Sesame Sauce* (homemade recipe)
• Ponzu Sauce* (homemade recipe)
• Grated Daikon
• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven flavor Chili pepper)

I have provided a great link for the dip recipes above - I used this wonderful website as a great reference when preparing for my own version of Shabu Shabu.  


Below is a pic of my actual hot pot that I purchased at the community sale.  AWESOME! 

Ingredients can be what you want them to be! 

Dip them into your boiling hot pot = FUN!
Remember: put vegetables in batches - mushrooms first and allow them to cook the longest.  Once the veggies are ready, then dip your Shabu Shabu beef into the boiling water and swish it around for a few seconds and remove (depends on how well you want your proteins cooked)

Dip them into your SNAZZY SAUCES!  
Remember:  the dips make the dish!