Sichuan Beef Hotpot
The restaurant secret is building the broth from a concentrated Sichuan hot-pot base, then diluting it with beef stock; it gives a home burner the layered chile-and-peppercorn aroma that usually…
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Beef sirloin, very thinly sliced
- 3.5 oz Sichuan hot-pot soup base
- 8 cups Low-sodium beef broth
- 1 head Napa cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 oz Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 14 oz Firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 12 oz Fresh wheat noodles
- 0.75 cup Chinese sesame paste or tahini
- 0.5 cup Soy sauce
- 1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the sliced beef on a parchment-lined platter, separating the pieces so guests can lift them easily with chopsticks or tongs. Arrange the napa cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, and noodles on separate platters or in tidy sections of one large tray. Keep the beef covered and refrigerated until the broth is ready.
- Set a wide, deep electric hot-pot cooker or Dutch oven on the table or on the stove. Add the Sichuan soup base and beef broth, whisking as the base melts. Bring the broth to a steady simmer, then lower the heat enough to keep it bubbling gently without splashing.
- While the broth heats, stir the sesame paste with the soy sauce and 3 tablespoons of hot broth until smooth and pourable. Divide the sauce among six small bowls and finish each bowl with scallions. The hot broth loosens sesame paste far better than cold water, giving you a smooth restaurant-style dipping sauce.
- Add the mushrooms, tofu, and half of the napa cabbage to the simmering broth. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the vegetables and tofu to take on the chile-rich broth while keeping the remaining cabbage and noodles ready for later rounds.
- Invite guests to cook their own food in small batches. Swish beef slices through the bubbling broth for 20 to 30 seconds, just until no longer pink, and cook noodles for 2 to 3 minutes. Add more cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, or noodles as the pot empties so the broth stays lively and the table always looks plentiful.
- Ladle cooked ingredients into each guest's bowl and serve with the sesame-soy sauce. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer throughout dinner, topping it with a little extra beef broth if the level drops. Use separate utensils for raw beef and cooked food, and remove the cooker from the table once the meal is finished.
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