Sukiyaki: Simmered Beef
Sukiyaki — thinly sliced beef cooked in a cast iron pan with a sweet soy-mirin-sake cooking sauce (warishita) and vegetables, then dipped in raw beaten egg before eating — differs from shabu-shabu in both cooking medium (the concentrated warishita sauce vs the delicate dashi broth) and the specific flavour register (sweet, soy-rich vs delicate and clean). The raw egg dip is essential — its fat coats the beef and moderates the warishita's sweetness.
- **The warishita:** Soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar — the ratio varies by tradition (Kanto region uses a pre-made warishita added to the pan; Kansai region adds each ingredient separately). [VERIFY] Tsuji's warishita ratio. - **The beef browning:** In some traditions, the beef is briefly seared in beef fat (suet) before the warishita is added — the Maillard development on the beef surface provides a depth absent from straight-warishita cooking. - **The raw egg dip:** A raw egg beaten smooth in a bowl at each place setting. The cooked beef piece is rolled briefly in the egg before eating — the egg's fat and protein simultaneously cool the beef slightly, coat it with a thin layer of richness, and moderate the salt of the warishita. - **The vegetables and tofu:** Added to the pan after the initial beef and sauce — they absorb the warishita during cooking, providing a range of textures within the same sauce.
Tsuji