Ingredients
Total Time: 4.5 Hours
1 – 1.5lbs paper thin sliced beef (Found in Asian grocery stores marked as Shabu Shabu meat, or hotpot meat, usually flash frozen)
1 – 1.5lbs paper thin sliced pork (Found in Asian grocery stores marked as Shabu Shabu meat, or hotpot meat, usually flash frozen)
1 large yellow onion (cut in half, then into quarters)
1 baby napa cabbage (cut in half, then into 2″ sections)
1 – 2 leeks (Sliced on the bias)
1 bunch of green onions (cleaned, ends removed, and sliced in half)
1lb baby bok choy or shanghai tips
1lb Yu Choy / Choy Sum, or Chinese Broccoli
3 Shiitake mushrooms
1lb watercress
8oz udon noodles (If using dry noodles, boil for a few minutes first to soften before adding to the pot)
3 cups water
0.75 cup dark soy sauce
0.25 utsukushi soy sauce
0.5 cup mirin
0.75 cup sake
0.5 cup granulated sugar
Dipping sauces (Miso dipping sauce, and ponzu at a minimum)
cooked white short grain rice
Additional Notes
This recipe uses a hot pot placed in the center of the table to cook as you eat. I use an electric Zojirushi EP-PBC10 hotpot, but a deep(ish) cast iron skillet on a butane burner will work just fine as well.
Procedure
Mix the water, sake, mirin, soy sauces, and sugar in a pot on the stove, and bring to a boil.
While the mixture is heating up, clean and cut all the vegetables and place neatly inside the hotpot. Add extra vegetables to an large serving plate to select from while cooking at the table. Also add the sliced meat to a separate serving plate, to select from while at the table.
Once the liquid in the pot has started to boil, carefully pour the liquid over the vegetables arranged in the pot, until it is full. Turn the hotpot on, and bring to a simmer.
As the vegetables and meat cook, remove them from the hotpot and place on your plate, adding more vegetables and meat from the serving plates to replace them. Hotpot is a communal meal, that should be enjoyed for as long as possible. The longer you cook and eat, the more flavorful everything becomes as the hotpot becomes rich with flavors from the meat and vegetables cooking. Serve with cooked rice, and dipping sauces such as miso dipping sauce, sesame sauce, or ponzu.