Hot Pot Harmony: A Guide To Perfecting Your Broth And Ingredients

Hot pot is a Chinese cooking method that involves a big pot of boiling broth placed at the centre of the table, with various raw ingredients served on plates around the pot. These ingredients include thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, dumplings, and noodles. The guests cook the ingredients in the broth and eat them with a dipping sauce.

Hot pot is a social and interactive meal, where diners can add whatever they like to the boiling liquid and retrieve cooked food with wire ladles. It is also a deeply personalised meal, where each individual can mix their own dipping sauce and choose what they want to eat.

There are many types of hot pot across China, but the primary difference from region to region is the broth. Some common types of broth include spicy broth, clear broth, tomato soup base, and fiery, oily Sichuan hot pot.

The equipment needed for hot pot includes a heat source, such as an electric burner or tabletop gas burner, a pot, chopsticks, sauce bowls, and metal hot pot baskets/wire ladles.

The dipping sauce is also an important part of the hot pot experience, with popular options including sesame paste-based sauce, Shacha sauce, and a garlic and sesame oil mixture.

Meat: Beef, pork, chicken, and lamb are popular choices, thinly sliced

Meat for Hot Pot

Beef, pork, chicken, and lamb are popular choices for hot pot, thinly sliced. Here are some tips and suggestions for preparing and cooking meat for this communal dining experience:

Slicing the Meat

• Place whole cuts of meat in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until slightly firm, which will help with slicing.
• Thinly slice the meat. If you are DIYing your meat slices, choose pieces that are heavely marbled for extra flavour.
• For beef short ribs, par-freeze the meat first to firm it up, then trim off the silver skin (connective tissue) and cut against the grain in thin slices or cubes.
• You can also buy pre-sliced fatty beef from the refrigerated or freezer section of most Asian supermarkets.

Cooking the Meat

• Meat typically cooks very quickly in a hot pot. For thinly sliced beef, it should take no more than 30 seconds to a minute, depending on your preference.
• For lamb, cook for around 90 seconds for super tender meat. If you like your lamb rare, a quick 15-second dip is enough.
• Pork, chicken, and lamb slices will take up to 1-2 minutes to cook.
• For thicker cuts or cubes, the cooking time will be longer. For example, beef cubes can take up to 30 minutes.

Meat Suggestions

• Beef: rib eye, short ribs, or brisket.
• Pork: belly, jowl, or shoulder.
• Lamb: leg of lamb, or calf muscle (for more uniform fat, connective tissue, and lean parts).
• Chicken: thigh (skinless).

Other Tips

• If you don't have access to an Asian supermarket, you can use chicken broth with ginger, garlic, soy, and toasted sesame oil as a base. Freeze and thinly slice the meat of your choice.
• For a more interactive dining experience, it is recommended to cook and add a few pieces of meat at a time, rather than adding everything at once. This keeps the soup bubbling and ensures fresh, perfectly cooked meat.
• Hot pot is all about customisation, so feel free to experiment with different types of meat and cuts to find your favourite combinations!

Seafood: Shrimp, squid, scallops, and fish balls are common

Seafood is a very common addition to hot pot, and there are a variety of options to choose from. Shrimp, squid, and scallops are all popular choices, and can be purchased headless and shelled or whole. They cook quickly, usually within 1-2 minutes, and can be placed in a small strainer to prevent them from getting lost in the pot.

Fish balls are another popular choice, and can be made with shrimp, lobster, or cuttlefish. They are usually found in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets and are already cooked, so they only need to be warmed through in the broth. They are done when they float to the surface.

If you want to make your own fish balls, you can do so by scraping the meat off the fish, mincing it with a cleaver, and then pounding it by hand. This produces a bouncy and springy texture.

Other seafood options include oysters, clams, mussels, abalone, and geoduck. Oysters should be shucked and will take about a minute or two to cook. For clams, make sure they are scrubbed clean of any grit and sand, and for mussels, remove their beards and ensure they are well cleaned before cooking. Abalone and geoduck should be sliced thinly and cooked for just a few seconds.

For fish, such as halibut, salmon, or bass, slice the fillets about a quarter-inch thick and place them in a small strainer before placing in the broth.

Vegetables: Napa cabbage, bok choy, leafy greens, and starchy veggies like potatoes

Vegetables for Hot Pot

When preparing vegetables for hot pot, it's important to select a variety of textures and flavours that will complement the broth. Here are some options and tips to help you get started:

Napa Cabbage

Napa cabbage is a classic choice for hot pot. It provides a slight crunch while absorbing the flavours of the broth. Before adding it to the pot, be sure to cut the cabbage into thin, uniform slices to ensure quick cooking. Napa cabbage is also slightly sweeter than regular cabbage, so it can add a touch of sweetness to the broth.

Bok Choy

Bok Choy is another popular choice for hot pot. It provides a nice crunch and soaks up the broth beautifully. The leaves add texture, while the stems become tender. To prepare bok choy for hot pot, trim about 1/8 inch from the bottom, then quarter it lengthwise and slice it thinly crosswise.

Leafy Greens

In addition to napa cabbage and bok choy, other leafy greens such as chrysanthemum greens, yu choy, and spinach can be added to the hot pot. These greens provide a fresh texture and flavour to the broth. Just be sure to add them towards the end of cooking, as they will cook quickly.

Starchy Veggies: Potatoes

Potatoes are a great starchy vegetable to include in hot pot. Thin slices of potato will turn supple as they soak up the broth's seasonings. Sweet potatoes are also a good option, as they become almost creamy when cooked. Be sure to cut the potatoes into thin, uniform slices, about 1/4 inch thick or less, to ensure even cooking.

Feel free to experiment with other vegetables as well, such as baby corn, tomatoes, carrots, snow peas, and shishito peppers. The key is to offer a variety of textures and flavours to create a complex and tasty broth.

Tofu: Firm, fried, or silken tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces

Tofu is a popular ingredient in hot pot, a Chinese dish where a variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a simmering pot of flavoured broth at the table. It is a fun, social way of eating, and diners can choose their own ingredients to cook and dip in their own sauces.

There are many types of tofu that can be used in hot pot, including firm, fried, or silken tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces. Tofu is usually cut into blocks or cubes and added to the hot pot, where it will absorb the flavours of the broth. It does not need to be cooked for long, and can be left in the broth to soak up the flavours while other ingredients are cooked.

Firm tofu is a popular choice for hot pot, and it can be cut into bite-sized cubes before being added to the pot. It is often sold in trays in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian grocery stores. It is best to pat the tofu dry before cutting it and adding it to the hot pot.

Fried tofu is another option for hot pot. This can include tofu puffs, which are mini tofu pieces that are fried, or larger pieces of fried tofu. Fried tofu adds a crunchy texture to the hot pot.

Silken tofu is a softer option that can also be added to hot pot. It is often sold in tubes and can be cut into bite-sized pieces before being added to the pot.

Tofu is a versatile ingredient that can be used in many different types of hot pot, including spicy, herbal, and curry hot pots. It is a good source of protein and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Noodles and dumplings: Rice, glass, or egg noodles, and frozen dumplings

Noodles and dumplings are considered staples in Chinese hot pot. They are a must-have if you’re celebrating Chinese New Year.

Noodles

There are several types of noodles that are perfect for hot pot:

• Hand-pulled noodles or other fresh noodles
• Packaged dried noodles
• Shirataki noodles (konnyaku)
• Udon
• Mung bean noodles
• Glass noodles
• Instant ramen
• Rice noodles

For noodles, simply cook them according to the instructions on the package.

There are two ways to serve the noodles. You can serve them with the hot pot broth, in which case the noodles should be served at the beginning of the hot pot party because the broth gets too cloudy after all the cooking. It’s more common to serve the noodles in the non-spicy hot pot broth.

You can also serve the noodles with hot pot dipping sauce. A sesame dipping sauce is perfect for this purpose.

Dumplings

Dumplings are a must-have for hot pot. It is recommended to get frozen dumplings, such as Wei Chuan dumplings, and to cook them according to the instructions on the package.

Prepping Noodles and Dumplings for Hot Pot

For noodles:

• Remove from the package.
• For most noodles, it’s best to soak them in hot water for 30 seconds and then drain them.

For dumplings:

• Remove from the package.
• If you like, you can slice the dumplings in half.
• Make sure you don’t put the dumplings out too early because they’ll melt.

Frequently asked questions