A new way with sukiyaki

As explained to us during our trip, Wagyu is a breed of cow in Japan, “wa” meaning Japan, and “gyu” meaning cow. The beef comes from a special breed of black cow that is bred to yield a rich marbling of fat. Raised in special, stress-free environments, the cows are pampered with massages and a special diet of green grass, corn, vegetables, and fruits. Some cows are even reportedly given Japanese sake to drink, to make them even more relaxed.

The beef we had with our sukiyaki came from the Yamagata prefecture, which produces Yonezawa, considered one of the top three Wagyu beef in Japan (the others being Matsusaka and Kobe). Sliced in thin slabs, the beef was streaked with fat all throughout, making it look so sinfully appealing.

The lady who was preparing our sukiyaki told us to dip the beef in the bowl of raw egg that had been prepared for each diner. (Raw eggs in Japan are said to be safe to eat because they’re free from salmonella.) Each morsel of the beef was juicy, intoxicating in its tenderness, requiring only a minimum of chewing to imbibe its great flavor. Because of the tenderness of the fat, it literally melts in your mouth. It was like eating beef fat heaven.

Next came the tofu, noodles, and vegetables, which were cooked in more of the sukiyaki sauce. Every now and then, the lady would add more sauce or more water to keep the pan simmering. For this second round, the lady cooked the rest of the tender, perfectly marbled beef, then served it together with the vegetables and some of the sauce.

One surprise was the Japanese chrysanthemum. These leafy greens were used in place of the bok choy, which are commonly used in Japanese restaurants in Manila. There was also Japanese parsley, which tasted very different from the more common curly leaf or flat parsley. I found their taste rather strange, though.

Back in Manila, I recreated the sukiyaki recipe we had in Osaka. Instead of using sotanghon, as I previously used to do, I used authentic Japanese sukiyaki noodles, which are tastier, shinier, and softer, while having more bite and being more pliable. These are available in Japanese groceries. It may take some effort to find them but they’re worth the effort. (I bought my noodles in a Japanese grocery in what is fondly called “Japan Town” in Pasong Tamo, Makati.)

In addition, I added beef broth to the sukiyaki sauce mixture of just soy sauce, sugar and mirin. This gives the sauce more body, making it almost like a soup that one can slurp or mix with the rice.

Because Japanese Wagyu is so costly, I substituted American Angus beef instead. It’s, of course, far from the Yonezawa beef we had in Osaka, but it will do.

Sukiyaki

This is best cooked on the tabletop. Use a portable, single-burner stove and a deep, sturdy pan. Arrange them in the center of the dining table. Have all the ingredients ready and within easy reach. For each diner, allot a Japanese bowl, a small plate for the meat, and a bowl of good Japanese rice. To add more authenticity, use chopsticks in place of forks and spoons. This recipe makes about four servings.

• 1 cube of beef fat (or use a cube of butter)
• 4 – 5 stems scallions, white part only, cut thinly on the diagonal
• 500 grams good quality beef, sliced into thin slabs
• 1 block tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
• 4 – 6 shiitake mushrooms, washed well then sliced
• 4 cups sukiyaki sauce (recipe follows)
• 500 grams thin Japanese glass noodles, boiled for about one minute then drained well (You can buy this is Japanese groceries. If not available use sotanghon, soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes).
• Vegetables (Japanese chrysanthemum and parsley or bok choy)
• 4 eggs

Heat a deep, wide, nonstick cooking pan over low heat. Add the beef fat and wipe the surface of the pan with the fat (this acts as a kind of cooking oil, so the ingredients don’t stick). If not available use butter—let it melt then swirl the pan so the surface is covered in butter.

Add the scallions and sauté for about one minute. Add half of the thinly sliced beef and sear the beef just until cooked through, about 30 seconds on each side. Pour about two tablespoons of the sukiyaki sauce. Remove the beef and leeks from the pan and distribute equally among the diners. They can start eating the beef to appreciate its flavor fully.

For the second round: In the same pan, brown the tofu. Add the onion rings, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. Sauté lightly. Pour in half of the remaining sukiyaki sauce and add the noodles and remaining vegetables (Japanese chrysanthemum or bok choy). Let cook until tender, about three minutes. Add the remaining beef and heat just until the beef is cooked through, about one minute. Pour in the remaining sukiyaki sauce.

Break one egg into each Japanese soup bowl. Apportion the beef, tofu, onions, carrots, mushrooms, noodles, and remaining vegetables among the four bowls. If desired, diners can mix all these with the raw egg, together with some of the sukiyaki sauce. Serve with rice on the side.

For the sukiyaki sauce:

• 4 cups water
• 2 beef broth cubes
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons mirin

In a large casserole, heat the water and add the beef broth cubes. Simmer until the beef broth cubes dissolve. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, soy sauce, and mirin in a bowl and stir to mix well. Pour this mixture into the beef broth mixture and stir well. Simmer until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside and use as needed in the recipe.