Hot pot is a very popular dish all across Asia. It includes making a tasty, and sometimes spicy, broth and cooking prepared items in the boiling broth. Hot pot is eaten usually in a group, it does take a while to eat, and does take a good amount of prep time, but hot pot makes great food and a fun experience. First you need a good broth/stock. You can make your own by simmering bones for 4-6 hours, or you can used pre-made broth/stock, either way works. You’ll need some veggies, usually whatever you have. I highly recommend potatoes because they were very good. Mushrooms are a classic addition, and so is cabbage or bok choy. A thin sliced meat is a classic additions, and some bacon cut into thirds provided that. We also had hot pot the next night and was able to cook 1/2 inch strips of venison too! Frozen dumplings aren’t as common, but taste great in the hot pot, and to serve, having one or two varieties of dipping sauce was very nice. The spread above was enough food for 8 servings.
What You’ll Need
Broth
- 1/4 Finely Diced Onion
- 1/4 Cup Diced Pork Belly
- 8 Cups Broth/Stock of Choice
- I made 8 cups of pork stock, then added 2 chicken Bouillons and a sazon goya MSG Packet
- 2 Garlic Cloves Finely Minced
- 1/2 Tbsp Ginger Paste
Dipping Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Fish Sauce
Other Ingredients
- Peeled and Thin Sliced Potatoes
- Spinach
- Sliced Carrots
- 1 Inch Celery Sticks
- 1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts, Strained
- 1/2 Cup Diced Cabbage
- 1/4 Cup Diced Bell Peppers
- 8 Oz Sliced Mushrooms
- 8 Frozen Dumplings
- 1 lb Bacon Cut into Thirds
- Packets of Ramen Noodles, For Just the Noodles
Equipment
- Serving Plated and Bowls
- Small Bowls for Dipping Sauce
- A Bowl for Each Person
- Fork/Chop Sticks and Slotted Spoon for Each Person
- Hot Plate/ Rice Cooker
- Dutch Oven/ Large Pot for Broth
- Separate Utensils for Any Raw Meat
Directions
- First make a flavorful broth. I started by boiling 10 cups of water with 2 lbs of pork bones for 5 hours. I started the broth by sauteing the onions with the diced pork belly. Once the onions were soft and the pork belly mostly rendered, I strained the broth through a sieve into the pot with the onion. I then added the minced garlic and ginger, and brought that to a boil.
2. Next, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. The measurements above are for one portion, I made two for our meal, but one shared would suffice for 2 people. Place in a small bowl for dipping. Then prep and plate your ingredients. Presentation is important with this meal. Add a hotplate in the middle and add the pot of broth, heat until it is heated thoroughly.
3. Cooking with the hot pot is rather easy. First, always start with the veggies and dumplings. Raw Meat is cooked on their own after, and finally, noodles are eaten at the end. Soft greens like spinach only need 5 seconds before they can be removed. Otherwise, all veggies can be added to the pot and eaten as they are found. Potatoes may take 2-3 minutes to soften before they are soft enough, and same goes for carrots and celery. You can add frozen dumplings at any point, just wait for them to rise to show they are heated enough. Bacon cooks in about 1 minute, and sliced venison was done in 4 minutes. Noodles only take about 2 minutes to be ready. You can eat ingredients straight from the hot pot, or transfer them to your personal bowl before chowing down.
Our Lustron Home 