Sukiyaki steak

All the cosy flavours of sukiyaki, just a little simpler. This easy take on the classic Japanese hotpot pan-fries a high-quality wagyu steak before lightly simmering in a sweet soy sauce, bringing a rich umami flavour to your table, no special equipment required.

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (40 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 x 400 g good-quality wagyu steak
• 200 g tofu (medium firmness), sliced into large cubes
• 1 small leek, thickly sliced
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 80 g enoki mushrooms
• 2 cups chrysanthemum leaves

For the sukiyaki sauce

• ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• ¼ cup (60 ml) sake
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the vegetable oil. Fry the steak until cooked to your liking, then remove to a plate to rest. If you like, blowtorch the top of the tofu.
2. In the same pan, pan-fry the tofu, leek, mushrooms and chrysanthemum leaves separately, until cooked to your liking. Remove the vegetables from the pan, leaving just the tofu. Add the sukiyaki sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer until thickened. Return the steak to the pan along with any resting juices for 1 minute, to reheat in the sauce.
3. Slice the steak, then transfer to a large serving platter. Arrange the vegetables and tofu alongside the steak, then pour over the sauce and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.