Sukiyaki Set (sukiyaki Rice) Recipe

Make warishita

Combine the dashi, light soy sauce, mirin, sake and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust: it should be balanced sweet-salty. Keep warm and set aside.

Prep vegetables & tofu

Cut napa cabbage into 1-inch wide strips (about 3 cups). Trim and diagonal-slice the leek/negii into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove stems from shiitake and slice caps thinly. Trim enoki roots and separate into small clusters. Cut tofu into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes. If using carrot, peel and slice thinly on the bias.

Prepare beef and noodles

If beef slices are large, cut into 3–4 inch strips. Keep slices cold and slightly separated (you can layer between parchment). If using frozen udon, briefly warm per package directions and drain; if shirataki, rinse, boil 1–2 minutes then drain and cut into shorter lengths.

Prepare eggs

Crack the eggs into two small bowls (one per person) and beat lightly — these are used as a dipping sauce for cooked pieces.

Heat pan

Heat a shallow cast-iron or heavy skillet (or tabletop sukiyaki pan) over medium-high. Add 1 tsp oil and swirl to coat.

Brown a few beef slices

Add a few slices of beef to the hot pan in a single layer and sear briefly (15–30 seconds per side) until just browned. Push them to one side of the pan.

Add warishita and build simmer

Pour about 1 cup of the warm warishita (broth) into the pan around the beef. Let it come to a gentle simmer.

Assemble vegetables & tofu

Arrange napa cabbage, leek, shiitake, enoki, shungiku (or spinach), carrots and tofu in sections in the simmering broth so they partially sit in the liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low so the broth simmers gently. Cover loosely and cook 3–5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften and tofu is heated through.

Cook remaining beef and noodles

Add more beef slices in small batches to the simmer, cooking briefly until just done (about 30–60 seconds per side depending on thickness). Transfer cooked pieces to individual bowls with a beaten raw egg for dipping. When vegetables are nearly done, add udon or shirataki to the pan for 1–2 minutes to warm and soak up flavor.

Maintain broth

As you eat, ladle more warishita into the pan as needed to keep a simmer and to replace liquid absorbed by ingredients. Continue cooking ingredients in batches: beef, tofu, vegetables, and noodles, transferring cooked items to bowls.

Serve with rice

Place steamed Japanese rice into individual bowls. Spoon cooked sukiyaki ingredients and a little broth over the rice (or serve rice on the side).

Garnish and dip

Top with sliced scallion and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Each diner dips hot cooked beef and vegetables into their beaten raw egg before eating (optional).

Timing and notes

Estimated cook time assumes family-style table cooking. Keep leftover warishita refrigerated for up to 3 days. For a richer flavor, brown more beef at the start to release fond into the broth. Adjust soy/mirin ratio to taste for sweeter or saltier sukiyaki.