Sizzling Secrets: Preparing Beef For The Ultimate Hot Pot Experience

Preparing beef for hot pot is easy. The key is to slice the beef thinly so it cooks quickly in the boiling broth. You can buy pre-sliced beef from Asian supermarkets, or slice your own cuts of meat such as ribeye, sirloin, or flank steak. If you're slicing it yourself, it's easier if the meat is partially frozen. You can also add beef balls or beef slices with roe to your hot pot.

Choose your beef cut

When choosing your beef cut for hot pot, it's important to consider the level of fat marbling, tenderness, and overall texture. While any cut of beef will work, some are more suitable than others. Here are some recommended options:

Brisket

Brisket is a popular choice for hot pot due to its good marbling and tenderness. It is also readily available in most Asian supermarkets, often pre-sliced and packaged in the refrigerated or frozen section. If you're buying in bulk and slicing at home, brisket is a cost-effective option.

Short Plate

The short plate, also known as the short rib, is another recommended option for hot pot. It offers a good balance of fat and tenderness, making it ideal for thin slices commonly used in hot pot.

Ribeye

Ribeye is a fatty beef cut that is well-suited for hot pot. It provides a juicy and tender texture, making it a popular choice among hot pot enthusiasts.

Chuck

While chuck is an option, it may not be ideal for hot pot as it doesn't cook as well as other cuts. If you do choose chuck, be sure to remove the silver skin for better texture and cook it thoroughly to ensure optimal tenderness.

Book Tripe

Book tripe, which is a type of beef stomach, is considered the best cut for hot pot by some enthusiasts. It offers a unique texture and flavor that pairs well with the hot pot cooking method.

When preparing your beef for hot pot, it's important to slice the meat thinly against the grain. This ensures that the beef cooks quickly and evenly in the boiling broth. You can also batter the beef with eggs and cornstarch before cooking, as this will give it a better texture.

Prepare your broth

Preparing the broth is the most important part of hot pot, as it forms the backbone of your meal. The good news is that it's very adaptable and can be made to suit your tastes.

If you want to go all out, you can make a homemade stock from scratch. But if you're short on time, a store-bought stock or seasoning packet will work just fine. You can even use a simple chicken stock jazzed up with some ginger and green onions.

For a super-simple version, take some chicken soup and throw in a handful of goji berries, ginger, and sliced scallions. You could also add a tablespoon of Marmite or miso paste for extra depth of flavour.

If you're feeling adventurous, try a curry stock, or a thin curry stock if you prefer. Lee Kum Kee also makes some great seasoning packets—their Soup Base for Satay Hot Pot is particularly good.

For a more traditional Chinese hot pot, try a Mala Beef Broth, inspired by Taiwanese beef noodle soup, or an Herbal Mushroom Broth. These broths are meant to be served side by side in a divided pot, so you can switch between the two and make your palate dance.

And remember, hot pot is all about customisation, so feel free to experiment and find the combination of flavours that you like best.

Pick your vegetables

Picking your vegetables is a crucial part of preparing a hot pot. The right vegetables will add texture, flavour, and balance to your meal. Here are some tips on how to pick and prepare your vegetables for a hot pot:

Leafy Greens

Select hearty and leafy greens that retain their texture after cooking, such as bok choy, watercress, snow pea leaves, Napa cabbage, Chinese spinach, and green onions. Simply wash the greens thoroughly and cut them into manageable pieces. Baby leafy greens like baby bok choy can be left whole, while larger leaves like Napa cabbage should be cut into smaller 1-2 inch pieces.

Root Vegetables

Look for root vegetables like daikon, carrots, and small potatoes. You can cut them into cubes or thin slices. For larger pieces, let them simmer in the broth to add flavour, and thinly slice for a slight crunch.

Mushrooms

Choose from a variety of mushrooms like enokis, small cremini, shimeji, and king oyster mushrooms. King oyster mushrooms offer a meaty texture, while enoki and shimeji mushrooms cook quickly. Simply trim the ends and slice the mushrooms thinly. Add the small mushrooms towards the end of cooking, as they are ready as soon as they start to wilt.

Squash

Kabocha squash is a popular choice for hot pot due to its bright colour, rich texture, and sweetness. However, winter melon, also known as bitter melon, is another option that is widely used in Asia for soups and stews. Be sure to remove the skin and seeds of the winter melon, as the flesh can become mushy if overcooked.

Other Vegetables

You can also include other vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, corn, and green beans.

When preparing your vegetables, remember that you want a variety of textures and flavours to create a well-rounded hot pot. Cut the vegetables into thin slices or small pieces to ensure quick cooking. You can also cut them into larger chunks, but they will take longer to cook.

Now that you have picked and prepared your vegetables, you are one step closer to enjoying a delicious and customised hot pot meal!

Select your cooking equipment

The key to hot pot is a tabletop heating device to keep the pot hot. You can choose between a butane burner or an induction burner.

Butane burner

Butane burners are cordless, quiet, and can work with non-magnetic pots. They are also cheaper than induction burners. However, you will need to procure butane canisters, which can be a hassle to dispose of properly.

Induction burner

Induction burners are more efficient, safe, and electric. They heat up the pot itself, without the surface of the burner getting hot. However, they require pots made of magnetic materials with a completely flat bottom, and they tend to be noisier than butane burners.

The pot

You will need a pot that is wide and deep enough to hold a good amount of food. Chinese stainless steel hot pots are ideal because of their round shape and depth. Some designs even have a "yin-yang" feature, where you can have two soup flavors at the same time. If you are serving a large group, you might need two pots and two burners.

Other equipment

You will also need chopsticks, sauce bowls, and metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles. Chopsticks offer superior dexterity when it comes to retrieving food items, and bamboo or wooden chopsticks are heat-resistant and cool off quickly. Sauce bowls are needed for each person to assemble their own dipping sauce. Metal hot pot ladles are not completely necessary, but they are useful for cooking and retrieving food from the pot.

Prepare your dipping sauce

The dipping sauce is a very personal thing. You can make it as simple or as complex as you like, depending on your taste preferences and how much time you want to spend preparing it.

Basic ingredients

The most basic dipping sauce can be made with just one or two of the following ingredients:

• Chinese sesame paste or sauce
• Peanut butter or peanut sauce
• Soy sauce (light soy sauce, seasoned soy sauce, and seafood-flavoured soy sauce are all good options)
• Sha Cha Sauce (Chinese BBQ Sauce)
• Sichuan Peppercorn Oil
• Chili Garlic Sauce / Sambal Oelek
• Chinese black vinegar/rice vinegar (a less common ingredient, but up to personal preference)
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Fried shallots or garlic

More complex sauces

If you want to get more creative, you can add some of the following ingredients to your dipping sauce:

• Oyster sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Fish sauce
• Garlic
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Chilli oil
• Black vinegar
• White pepper
• Sugar
• MSG

Example recipes

Kaitlin's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 dollop sha cha
• 1 spoonful Chinese sesame paste
• A couple of drizzles of soy sauce
• A small drizzle of sesame oil
• Lots and lots of garlic, cilantro, and scallions

Sarah's Hot Pot Dipping Sauce:

• 2 1/2 tbsp sesame paste
• 1 tbsp Sha Cha sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp chopped scallions
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Light Sesame Soy:

• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds

Chilli Oil Vinegar Dip:

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Spicy Peanut Dip:

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp spicy bean paste
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Frequently asked questions