Shabu-Shabu to Sukiyaki: The Definitive Guide to Japanese Wagyu Hot Pot
Two iconic Japanese dishes. One transcendent ingredient. Here is everything you need to know to prepare and serve both at the highest possible standard.
Of all the ways to prepare wagyu, the hot pot traditions of Japan may be the most democratic — and the most revealing. In shabu-shabu and sukiyaki, there is nowhere to hide. The quality of the beef is the entirety of the experience.
Shabu-shabu is the purist's choice. Paper-thin slices of A4 or A5 wagyu are swished briefly through a pot of simmering kombu dashi — a mere two or three seconds for the finest cuts — then draped over a bowl of steamed rice or dipped in ponzu or sesame sauce. The meat cooks on residual heat alone, remaining faintly pink in the center, yielding with almost no resistance.
Sukiyaki is richer, more theatrical. The beef is seared directly in the pan with a mixture of sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce — a technique that lacquers the exterior with a sweet-savory glaze while the center remains barely cooked. The classic accompaniment is a raw egg, into which each slice is dipped before eating.
For both preparations, the cut matters. Shabu-shabu calls for the thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin; sukiyaki performs better with slightly thicker-cut shoulder or chuck, where the additional collagen contributes body to the broth.
