Beef Sukiyaki

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless beef ribeye or sirloin, sliced paper-thin against the grain
• 300 g firm tofu, drained and cut into 2 cm slabs
• 400 g Chinese cabbage (napa), cut into 4 cm pieces
• 200 g shiitake or button mushrooms, stems trimmed, larger ones halved
• 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths on the diagonal
• 100 g glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli) or shirataki noodles
• 1 tbsp neutral oil or beef fat trimmings
• 80 ml Japanese soy sauce (or any light soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
• 300 ml dashi or light chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 very fresh eggs, for dipping (optional)
• 300 g short-grain or basmati rice, cooked, to serve

Instructions

1. Make the sauce: stir the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar and dashi together in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Taste it; it should be savoury and noticeably sweet, as it will be diluted by vegetable juices.
2. Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 5 minutes until soft and clear, then drain and cut into shorter lengths with scissors.
3. Arrange the beef, tofu, cabbage, mushrooms, spring onions and noodles in groups on a large platter so they are ready to add to the pan. Crack each egg into its own small bowl and beat lightly, if using.
4. Heat the oil in the wide pan over medium-high heat. Lay in a few slices of beef and sear for about 30 seconds per side until just browned.
5. Pour in about half the sauce so it bubbles around the beef. Add the tofu, cabbage stems and mushrooms in neat sections, leaving space between them.
6. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and the mushrooms are tender and glossy.
7. Add the cabbage leaves, spring onions and noodles, and pour in more sauce if the pan looks dry. Simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, turning once, until the noodles have soaked up the broth.
8. Add the remaining beef in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until no pink remains. Do not overcook or it turns tough.
9. Serve straight from the pan. Each person lifts pieces into their bowl, dips them in the beaten egg if desired, and eats with rice. Top up the pan with more beef, vegetables and sauce as it empties.

Tips

• Ask your butcher to slice the beef paper-thin, or freeze it for 45 minutes and slice it yourself with a sharp knife.
• Add the sauce in stages. Cabbage and mushrooms release water, so the broth gets milder as it cooks.
• Cook the beef in batches during the meal rather than all at once, so it stays tender.
• Raw egg is traditional for dipping, but skip it if you cannot get very fresh eggs or you are serving young children, older adults or anyone pregnant.