Hoba Miso with Beef

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Soak the hoba leaves in the water for at least 20 minutes. This prevents the leaves from burning when you cook the leaves over open flame.
3. Meanwhile, combine miso, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Slice the beef into ½ inch (1.3 cm) thickness. If you're using well-marbled wagyu from Japan, I recommend slicing the beef when it's still slightly frozen. Otherwise, if the beef was at room temperature, the fat easily melts when you touch it with your finger and it's very hard to cut.
5. Cut the shiitake mushrooms, the negi, and green onion/scallion.
6. Light the portable fuel (I used Sterno brand). If you don't use a shichirin to cook, you can use a non-stick frying pan to cook instead. There is no need to oil the frying pan, simply place the leaves on top.
7. When the leaves have soaked for 20 min, gently dry with paper towel and spread the miso mixture on the leaves where you will be placing the ingredients.
8. Place the negi (scallions), shiitake mushrooms, and steak on the miso.
9. Cook the beef over an open flame or on medium-high heat until you see the miso starting to bubble around the edge. When the beef is cooked on the bottom side, flip and cook the other side.
10. As miso gets burn easily, it's NOT recommended to reuse the leftover miso or the same leaf. Instead, use the leftover miso as a condiment and enjoy it with steamed rice.
11. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 days.