Wayne speculated:

>> I think I'm going to put a cast-iron skillet out on my patio sometime
>> soon, to see how hot it can get under direct sunlight. (Too bad I don't
>> have one of those nifty laser thermometers like Alton Brown!) I'm
>> *sure* I could get it hot enough to cook an egg, but I wonder if I can
>> get it hot enough to make shabu-shabu.
<snip>
> Shabu-shabu? Probably not. Too much temperature drop in the broth as
> bits
> of food are added. :-)

Got me thinking now...how about a succession of skillets, each retaining a
goodly amount of thermal energy from being in the sun all day? (That's one
reason I mentioned cast iron in particular; the temperature drop shouldn't
be all that great because of the pan's ability to retain heat.) It really
doesn't take much to cook the shabu-shabu meat all the way through. I'll
try it and report my results.

Bob