Preparation
What food goes with tofu and vegetables, especially Chinese cabbage?
Shabu-shabu
The dish was originally made with thinly sliced beef , but some versions use pork, crab, chicken, lamb, duck, or lobster. Most often, ribeye steak is used, but less tender cuts, such as top sirloin, are also common. A more expensive meat, such as "wagyū", may also be used. It is usually served with tofu and vegetables, including Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves, "nori" (edible seaweed), onions, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and enokitake mushrooms. In some places, "udon", "mochi" or "harusame" noodles may also be served. The dish is prepared by submerging a thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of boiling water or "dashi" (broth) made with "konbu" (kelp) and stirring it. Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped in "ponzu" or "goma" (sesame seed) sauce before eating, and served with a bowl of steamed white rice. Once the meat and vegetables have been eaten, leftover broth from the pot is customarily combined with the remaining rice, and the resulting soup is usually eaten last.