Yakiniku, Shabu-Shabu and Sukiyaki: Cooking Wagyu the Japanese Way

In Japan, most Wagyu isn't eaten as a big steak. It's sliced thin and cooked at the table in seconds. These three dishes are the best way to enjoy the whole animal, share with friends, and make a little Wagyu go a long way.

First: how to slice Wagyu thin at home

• Thaw the pack in the fridge until it is just soft enough to cut but still very cold and firm. Partly frozen meat is far easier to slice.
• Use your sharpest, longest knife. Cut across the grain.
• Yakiniku: slices or bite-size pieces 3 to 5mm thick.
• Sukiyaki: 2 to 3mm thick.
• Shabu-shabu: as thin as you can, 1 to 2mm.
• Lay slices on a cold plate, cover, and keep in the fridge until you cook. Cook within the day.

Yakiniku (焼肉): Japanese barbecue

Best cuts: short rib & plate, chuck rib, chuck roll, rump, knuckle.

You need: a tabletop grill, a griddle pan or a cast-iron plate. Allow 150 to 200g per person across two or three cuts.

1. Heat the grill until very hot. Rub with a piece of fat.
2. Cook a few pieces at a time: 10 to 30 seconds per side, until just browned with a pink centre.
3. Eat each piece straight off the grill.
4. Start with the leaner cuts with just salt and lemon, then move to richer, marinated cuts.

Quick yakiniku sauce (tare): 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 small grated garlic clove, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves. Use as a dip, or toss richer cuts in it for 10 minutes before grilling.

Serve with: rice, lettuce leaves to wrap, kimchi, grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ): the gentle hotpot

Best cuts: top round, chuck roll, neck, sirloin.

You need: a wide pot on a portable hob in the middle of the table. Allow 120 to 150g of beef per person.

1. Make a light broth: soak a 10cm piece of kombu (kelp) in 1.5 litres of water for 30 minutes, then heat until just below a boil and remove the kombu.
2. Simmer tofu, Chinese leaf, shiitake, enoki, spring onions and carrot in the broth.
3. Each person picks up a slice of beef with chopsticks and swishes it in the simmering broth for 5 to 10 seconds, until it just turns pink-brown. The name comes from the "shabu-shabu" swishing sound.
4. Dip in sauce and eat at once.
5. Skim off foam as you go. At the end, add cooked udon or rice to the rich broth.

Sauces: ponzu (citrus soy) with grated daikon and spring onion, and a creamy sesame (goma) sauce. Both are easy to buy from Japanese grocers.

Sukiyaki (すき焼き): the sweet, savoury hotpot

Best cuts: sirloin, chuck roll, bottom round, top round.

Sauce (warishita): 100ml soy sauce, 100ml mirin, 50ml sake, 2 tbsp sugar, 100ml water. Heat until the sugar dissolves.

There are two classic styles:

• Kansai style (Osaka, Kobe): melt a piece of beef fat in a shallow cast-iron pan. Sear the beef slices, sprinkle with a little sugar, then add a splash of soy. Eat the beef first, then add vegetables and a little sauce.
• Kanto style (Tokyo): pour the warishita into the pan first, bring to a simmer, then cook the beef and vegetables in it.

Add: tofu, spring onions, shiitake, enoki, Chinese leaf, shirataki noodles.

The egg dip: traditionally each cooked slice is dipped in beaten raw egg, which softens the saltiness and makes the beef silky. In the UK, use British Lion-stamped eggs, which the Food Standards Agency advises are safe to eat raw or lightly cooked. Leave it out if you prefer.

Planning a Wagyu night for friends

• Pick one dish, two or three cuts, and plenty of vegetables, rice and pickles.
• Mix grades: A4 for the bulk, a little A5 as the highlight. See A4 vs A5.
• For quantities, see how much Wagyu per person.

Back to the Wagyu Guide