Hot pot at home
Hot pot at home means a simmering pot mid-table, and everyone cooks.
Host it at your table
Set up the pot
Put a stable portable burner in the middle of the table. A divided yuanyang pot keeps spicy and mild eaters happy.
Lay out the platters
Half-freeze beef or lamb so it slices paper thin. Add tofu, mushrooms, noodles and greens. Roots go in early, leaves last.
Dip and count
Everyone mixes a dip: sesame paste in Beijing, sesame oil and garlic in Chongqing. Thin meat takes seconds. Tripe gets seven up, eight down.
Seven dips up, eight dips down, and the tripe is done.
Keep separate chopsticks for raw meat and cook it through. Butane burners need fresh air. A pot wider than the burner base can overheat the can. Keep spare cans far from the heat.
Good to know
What do you need for hot pot at home?
You need a portable burner, a pot that fits the burner, broth, thin-sliced meat, vegetables, tofu, dipping sauces and small strainers. Small strainers keep shrimp balls and tofu from getting lost in the pot.
What is the difference between hot pot and shabu shabu?
Hot pot is Chinese and comes in many regional broths, from fiery tallow to clear soup. Shabu shabu is Japanese, with a light kombu broth and mainly thin beef.
Should you drink hot pot broth?
Clear broth, yes, especially early in the meal. Spicy tallow broth is for cooking, not drinking. Any broth gets saltier and richer as the meal goes on.
