Hot Pot at Home

Method9 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: For thin slices, firm the beef, chicken (1 lb) and pork before cutting. For frozen meat, partially thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For fresh meat, chill in the freezer for about 1–2 hours until firm but still yielding slightly. If too hard to slice, thaw a little longer in the refrigerator; if too soft, return briefly to the freezer, about 30 minutes. Keep raw meat refrigerated while preparing the other ingredients.

   Uses 2 lb beef flank · 1 lb chicken breast · 1 lb boneless pork chop

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Wash and drain the spinach (1 lb), Chinese broccoli (1 lb) and both mushrooms, trimming and cutting them as needed for small hot-pot portions. Cut the firm tofu (1 lb) into cubes. Prepare the dried vermicelli according to its package directions, keeping any required final cooking for the hot pot. Keep these ingredients separate from raw meat.

   Uses 1 lb firm tofu · 4 oz dried vermicelli noodles · 1 lb spinach · 1 lb chinese broccoli · 1/2 lb seafood mushrooms · 1/2 lb king oyster mushrooms

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Use a stable cutting board and a sharp knife to cut the firmed beef flank, chicken breast and boneless pork into slices about 1–2 mm thick. Keep beef and chicken chilled separately. Mix the pork with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water; refrigerate until cooking.

   Uses Firmed beef, chicken and pork for thin slicing · 1/2 tsp salt for pork · 2 tsp cornstarch for pork · 1 tbsp water for pork · 1/2 tsp baking soda for pork

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Clean the squid (1 1/2 lb): separate the tentacles, remove the innards, clear quill, eyes and beak, and peel away the outer membrane. Rinse and drain. Open the mantle, lightly score its inside in a crosshatch pattern and cut into bite-size triangles; cut the retained tentacles into suitable portions. Mix with 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp water, then keep refrigerated.

   Uses 1 1/2 lb squid · 1/2 tsp baking soda for squid · 1/2 tsp water for squid

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Set aside 8 oz of the tilapia and 2 oz of the shrimp for fish balls. Cut 1 lb of the tilapia into slices about 1 cm thick and gently mix with 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water and unmeasured white pepper. Slice the remaining 1/2 lb tilapia for plain hot-pot fish portions. Peel and devein the remaining shrimp, about 1 lb 6 oz, as desired for serving. Keep the marinated fish, plain fish and remaining shrimp chilled separately.

   Uses 1½ lb tilapia total here: 1 lb marinated slices plus 1/2 lb plain slices; 8 oz reserved for fish balls · 1 lb 6 oz remaining shrimp for hot pot · 1/4 tsp salt for fish slices · White pepper for fish slices, unmeasured · 1 tsp cornstarch for fish slices · 2 tbsp water for fish slices

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Soak the dried mandarin peel in enough water to soften it; drain and finely mince it with the cilantro (4 piece), green onion (4 piece) and ginger. Mince and pound the reserved 8 oz tilapia and 2 oz shrimp into a paste. Add the aromatics, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp each chicken bouillon, salt (1 tsp) and sugar (1 tsp), 3 tbsp cornstarch, 1 egg and 5 tbsp water. Mix in one direction for 2–3 minutes until cohesive. Add 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp olive oil and mix for 30–60 seconds, then pound the paste against the bowl until bouncy. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Form small balls when ready to cook; the centre must reach 71°C/160°F because the paste contains egg, rather than relying on a less-than-one-minute cooking promise.

   Chill fish-ball paste at least 30 minutes · 30 minUses 8 oz reserved tilapia for fish balls · 2 oz reserved shrimp for fish balls · 4 piece cilantro for fish balls · 4 piece green onion for fish balls · Ginger for fish balls, unmeasured · Dried mandarin orange peel for fish balls, unmeasured · 1/2 tsp white pepper for fish balls · 3 tbsp cornstarch for fish balls

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Peel the daikon (1 1/2 lb), halve it lengthwise and cut into slices about 1 cm thick. Put prepared hot-pot broth into your hot-pot vessel in a quantity suited to the vessel, add the daikon and bring to a boil. Let the daikon cook until tender; it can stay in the broth while you cook the other ingredients and be eaten toward the end.

   Uses 1 1/2 lb daikon · Prepared hot-pot broth, enough for your hot-pot vessel

   
8. 8

   Step 8: For the dipping sauce, mix 4 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shacha sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 4 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp each salt, sugar (1 tsp) and chicken bouillon (1 tsp), 1/2 tsp chili oil and 4 tbsp boiled water. Divide among clean individual dipping bowls, keeping raw-meat utensils out of the sauce.

   Uses 4 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tbsp shacha sauce · 1 tbsp olive oil for dipping sauce · 1/2 tbsp sesame oil for dipping sauce · 4 tbsp oyster sauce · 1 tsp salt for dipping sauce · 1 tsp sugar for dipping sauce · 1 tsp chicken bouillon for dipping sauce

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Arrange the prepared vegetables, tofu, noodles, chilled meats and seafood for hot pot. Keep only small batches of raw food at the table and keep the remainder refrigerated. Maintain the broth at a simmer, cook in small batches and let it return to a simmer after adding raw ingredients. Cook chicken to 74°C/165°F at the centre and egg-containing fish balls to 71°C/160°F. Cook beef and pork to 63°C/145°F, then rest those cooked pieces for 3 minutes before eating. Cook fish to 63°C/145°F or until opaque and flaking, shrimp until pearly and opaque, and squid until opaque and cooked through. Cook vermicelli for its package time and vegetables until tender. Use separate utensils for raw food and fully cooked food; cook all newly added raw meat through before serving any broth. Replenish with hot prepared broth as needed, then return to a simmer. Serve the cooked ingredients and tender daikon with the individual dipping sauce.

   Uses Prepared tofu, vegetables, mushrooms and vermicelli · Thinly sliced beef and chicken plus marinated pork · Prepared marinated squid · Marinated tilapia, plain tilapia and remaining shrimp · Chilled fish-ball paste; form small balls · Hot-pot broth with daikon · Individual dipping sauce · Additional hot prepared hot-pot broth as needed