Becoming Jana-San: Or How I Made Beef Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki (skee-YAH-kee)-Known in Japan as the "friendship dish" because it appeals to foreigners, sukiyaki consists of stir-fried bite size pieces o f meat, vegetables, and sometimes noodles and tofu. It is flavored with soy sauce, dashi (bonito flakes) and mirin, and is usually prepared at the table. Before eating each bite, diners dip their cooked food into beaten raw egg.

That definition comes from The New Food Lover's Companion --really a must own for any aspiring foodie.

A couple weeks ago in the restaurant run by the culinary arts students at UVU (hey! I'm one of those!) it was Japanese week. One of the dishes we made was beef sukiyaki and let me tell you, it was fantastic.

Fast forward a few weeks and Chef Troy was going through the walk-in, throwing out things that had gone bad. We still had several containers of tofu left from Japanese week, so he sent it home with some of us. With 3 containers of tofu in my fridge, I thought I would make some Japanese at home. I used the recipe I got in class, but made a few modifications. It turned out very well.

A NOTE ON WORKING WITH TOFU: Tofu is packed in water. As a result, it tends to soak up a lot of it and will release a ton of water into your food as you cook if you do not prepare it properly. To start, drain the water from the tofu. Then place it on a plate that has been lined with paper towels. Place another paper towel on top, then place something heavy on top, like a cast iron skillet, or even a baking sheet with a heavy book on it. Wait about 15 minutes for the water to press out. Then your tofu is ready for use!

Beef Sukiyaki

3/4 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup mirin

1/2 cup sake

2 TBS sugar

1 1/4 lbs well marbled boneless beef, placed in freezer for 1 hour for easy slicing

3 packages shirataki noodles (check out your local Asian market)

1 lb mushrooms (crimini or button mushrooms are fine. If you want to use Shitakes/enoki, go for it)

1 bunch scallions, cut into 2 inch diagonals

8 oz firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 bunches of watercress, bottom stems removed

4 eggs

Olive oil

All of my ingredients, ready to go

1. Make the sauce by placing the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

2. Slice the semi-frozen beef across the grain into bite size pieces about 1/8 inch thick

3. Prepare noodles according to directions on the package

4. Coat the bottom of a large pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil and place over medium high heat. Add the scallions and cook for a few minutes, moving them around occasionally until they begin to soften.

5. Add the meat and cook for about a minute. Add half of the sauce and bring to a simmer. Add th noodles, mushrooms, tofu. Allow to cook for a few minutes.

6. Add the remaining sauce and the watercress and cook briefly until wilted.

When served, give each person a small bowl with a beaten egg in it. Traditionally this dish is eaten by dipping each bite into the raw egg. Sound gross and unsanitary I know, but the Japanese have been doing it for thousands of years and they haven't died because of it. I've done it a fair few times myself and let me tell you, it's delicious. All I ask is that you try it with the egg at least once. If you hate it, fine. But at least try it.

That hand belongs to my handsome man! I remembered I wanted a picture after he was halfway done eating. Notice the bowl of egg. :)