Thinly sliced pork or beef is the key ingredient in many popular Japanese recipes. Here‘s my technique for how to slice meat thinly at home for delicious Japanese dishes like sukiyaki, okonomiyaki, and gyudon.
For Japanese recipes that include pork or beef, the majority will list “thinly sliced meat” on the ingredients list. Very thin slices – about 1/8 inch or even thinner. You can find packages of thinly-sliced meat at Japanese grocery stores like the ones pictured below.
If you don’t live near a Japanese grocery store, or you just prefer to slice the meat yourself, follow these simple instructions.
Recipes Using Thinly Sliced Beef
- Baby Carrot Beef Roll
- Beef Udon
- Bulgogi
- Gyudon
- Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Noodles)
- Nikujaga (Beef and Potato Stew)
- Shabu Shabu
- Sukiyaki
- Teriyaki Steak Rolls
Recipes Using Thinly Sliced Pork Loin
- Crispy Tonkatsu Donburi
- Ginger Pork (Shogayaki)
- Hot Pot for One
- Miso Ginger Pork
- Potato Salad Pork Roll
- Soy Milk Hot Pot
Recipes Using Thinly Sliced Pork Belly
- BBQ Pork Belly
- Goya Champuru
- Honey Pork Belly
- Mille-Feuille Nabe
- Miso Soup with Yuzu Kosho
- Okonomiyaki
- Pressure Cooker Pork Belly (Kakuni)
- Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup)
- Yaki Udon
- Yakisoba (Japanese Stir Fried Noodles)
How to Slice Meat Thinly
Thinly sliced pork or beef is the key ingredient in many popular Japanese recipes. Here‘s my technique for how to slice meat thinly at home for delicious Japanese dishes like sukiyaki, okonomiyaki, and gyudon.
Video
Materials
- premium-quality meat (beef or pork tenderloin, top sirloin, strip loin, rib eye, pork loin, or any cut of meat that is slightly more lean and a bit more firm; my pieces here are 1 lb each)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
- Put the premium-quality meat in a single layer in a large freezer bag.
- Remove the air from bag and close tightly.
- Put on a metal tray (so the heat transfers faster) and freeze the meat for 1½ to 2 hours, depending on the size of the piece of meat and how fatty it is.
To Slice the Meat
- Take out the meat from the freezer. Each piece shown here is 1 pound and I froze them for 1½ hours.
- The meat is ready if the knife goes through smoothly and just firm enough for you to slice thinly. If you have trouble slicing because the meat is still too soft, put it back into the freezer until it‘s firmer.
- Slice against the grain using a gentle sawing motion. When you look at the meat, you will see the fibers of the meat are going in one direction. You need to cut across this grain in the other direction to ensure tenderness.
- Here is the thinly-sliced meat, ready to use in your recipe.
To Store
- You can wrap the meat in plastic wrap, put in a freezer bag, and store in the freezer for future use.
Notes
Equipment you will need:
- A very sharp knife (A dull knife will not slice nicely)
- A metal tray
- A large freezer bag
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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on September 21, 2013. The post has been updated with video and new images.
Do you have a recommendation for a meat slicer ?
Hi Greg,
We are sorry that we don’t have a recommendation for a meat slicer as Nami doesn’t have one/used one. 😞
Hi Nami,
Thank you so much for all the details, it helps a lot. Now I dare to slice meat thinly. I have a question, if you have any good idea to clean the cutting board and knife after meat procedure, I hate to clean them (maybe I didn’t use a right way) thus I cut meat seldom at home. If you don’t mind share your way I’d be happy to learn from you. Thanks a lot.
Hi Kris,
Nami uses a plastic cutting board for meat and seafood and washes it with soap under hot water before putting it in the dishwasher.
She uses everything else (vegetables etc.) on a wooden cutting board and washes with soap under hot water.
You can learn more about it from USDA: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/cutting-boards-and-food-safety.
We hope this helps!
Just needing a very good sharpening of knives lesson! Please!
Love all your traditional recipes!
Hi Jean,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We’re so glad to hear you love Nami’s recipes!
To learn more about Japanese knives, you might want to check it out
https://www.justonecookbook.com/your-guide-to-japanese-knives/
I hope you can find some interest in this post!
Can we use..like a mandoline slicer to slice it?
Hi Sisca! I have tried it with my OXO mandoline slicer before, but the “thinnest” was not thin enough…
I am a new subscriber to Just One Cookbook. Your recipes are fabulous and your instruction clear and concise. I am so glad I found you.
Hi Les! Thank you so much for subscribing to my blog! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes and contents on my blog. 🙂
After slicing, can I use the meat immediately? Or do I let it sit and completely defrost again? I’m looking forward to trying your Bulgogi recipe.
Hi William! Yes, you can use them immediately. Since they are thin, the meat will be completely defrosted in a few minutes. Hope you enjoy making bulgogi!
Thanks for this! I was just thinking about this problem as I will be moving from Taiwan and living in the US where this style of meat is uncommon. May I ask, what cut of beef do you use for slicing?
Hi Marc! You’re very welcome, I’m glad to hear it’s useful. What do you want to use the sliced beef for? Rib eye is always good – have enough fat. Chuck is slightly cheaper but could be more fatty. 🙂
Would you recommend any particular type of knife? Would serrated work okay?
Hi Alov! I recommend a good sharp knife. Some like to use a serrated knife, but I use my regular chef knife. 🙂
The thin sliced chicken used in shabu shabu is paper thin. How can we do that ? I don’t think slicing by knife will achieve that level of thin slices.
Hi YP! Japanese don’t slice chicken for shabu shabu. I don’t know how it’s done…. if it’s in a restaurant, probably machine? Maybe slice chicken breast? It’s pretty dry and not much fat though…. I’m not sure. I had never seen/used thinly chicken slices.
Ohhh! I just saw this post now! I can make so many dishes with the beef thin sliced! Thank you again!!!
Hi Denise! Wonderful! I’m glad this post was helpful. 🙂
Is there a trick to slicing the frozen steak it when you get near the end? This works great when the steak is longer (like in the pictures), but I’ve been having trouble slicing the last 3/4″ or so. It’s so narrow that it’s unstable on the cutting board.
Hi Josh! When it was sorbet-like texture, it’s pretty easy to slice. It’s not rock hard yet it’s not soft. I hear icy sound. I don’t hold the meat. I hold a knife in one hand and other hand to support the knife. The knife goes in smoothly and I use my left hand to push down the knife… hard to explain…. oh, it’s like how you mince garlic and you support the knife with left hand? Something like that, like a see-saw motion. So that knife will go straight down… If your meat is too hard, it might slip. Also I go slow toward the end. I hope this helps???
Is the ziplock necessary? I don’t have something to make vacuum…
Hi Riccardo! I didn’t use the vacuum, but used my hand to remove the air. If you don’t use ziplock, how do you store the meat in the freezer? If you have another method, that’s okay too. 🙂
Oh! Now I get it. Thank you very much for your reply!
Hi Nami,
I love your beautifully captured photos.
Sorry, so you mind to explain 6.,again with more visuals n close up shots if, how to see which direction the grains in this near is followIng , and which direction visually does slicing against the grain means ?
Appreciate your reply , m new to cooking n would like to learn more basic How tos…
Regard
Hi Nellyn! I found a great article on this topic and I hope this helps! 🙂
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/03/why-should-you-cut-meat-steak-against-the-grain.html
Thank you so much. The information is very clear and easy to use.
Hi Carla! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for the tips! I only discovered this freezing trick when I was once too hasty in defrosting, but I never knew how long would be the right time in the freezer. Your slices look so professional! =)
Hi Kimmi! It depends on the size of meat, but if you always buy the same size/amout of meat, it’s always good to remember how long you need to freeze in order to thinly slice the meat. It’s really easy to slice when it’s just right amount of freezing time. 🙂