Sukiyaki Don

Gather all the ingredients. Make sure you have cooked Japanese rice ready before you start cooking this recipe. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe. For a good timesaver, you can also reheat frozen rice.

Slice ¼ onion into thin wedges.

Slice the white and light green parts of 1 Tokyo negi (long green onion) into thin diagonal slices about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Keep the thick white part separate from the tender light green pieces.

Cut 2 leaves napa cabbage crosswise into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Cut the leafy pieces in half or thirds. Cut the thick white parts into bite-size planks. Keep the thick white pieces and tender leafy pieces separate.

Cut 3 inches carrot in half crosswise. Then, cut each piece lengthwise into thin planks ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.

Cut ¼ package medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) into 4 cubes. In Japan, we hold tofu in our hand when we cut it, but you can place it on a cutting board to slice.

Remove the stems from 2 shiitake mushrooms. Optionally, you can cut a decorative flower pattern on the caps; see my tutorial How To Cut Shiitake Hanagiri.

Cut 6 oz thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye) crosswise to make pieces 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Here, I cut through the entire stack of sliced meat to make four shorter sections.

Heat a large frying pan (I use a carbon steel pan) over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and swirl the pan to distribute it. Add the meat to the hot oil, separating the individual slices with cooking chopsticks. Quickly sear the meat until the bottom side browns, then flip the pieces over to sear the other side. Tip: Searing develops a delicious flavor in the beef.

While the other side cooks, push the meat to one side of the pan. Add the onions and Tokyo negi to empty side and sear them to develop more flavor. When they are slightly browned, mix them together with the meat.

Add the carrot and thick, white pieces of napa cabbage to the pan. Stir to cook.

Now, add 3 Tbsp sake, 3 Tbsp mirin, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar.

Add ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock). Use your chopsticks to press down on the vegetables to submerge them in the cooking liquid.

Add the tender napa cabbage leaves and light green negi leaves to the pan, arranging them in separate sections. Nestle the tofu pieces in the broth in their own section. Add the mushrooms. Cover the pan to simmer for a few minutes.

Check to see if the vegetables are cooked. If not, continue simmering for a few more minutes. When the carrots and napa cabbage are tender, turn off the heat.

Serve the cooked Japanese short-grain rice in individual large (donburi) bowls. Transfer the sukiyaki on top of the rice and drizzle it with additional sukiyaki broth, as desired. Garnish with optional pickled red ginger and serve immediately.

Store the leftover sukiyaki and rice separately in airtight containers. You can keep the sukiyaki in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Tofu does not freeze well, so remove it before freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Reheat the leftovers gently on low heat until warmed through. You can make fresh rice or reheat the frozen rice. It's best to store cooked rice in the freezer, where it can keep for up to 1 month. Here's How To Store Cooked Rice.