Kitchen Recipe Collection
Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot (Ma La Huo Guo)
A communal dining experience. A violently red, bubbling cauldron of spicy, numbing, beef-tallow broth where diners cook raw meats and vegetables at the table.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- 1 package authentic Sichuan hot pot soup base (beef tallow based)
- 8 cups beef or pork bone broth
- 10 slices fresh ginger
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 leeks, cut into 3-inch sections
- 1/2 cup dried Sichuan red chilies
- 1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns
- Dipping Sauce Base: Toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, cilantro, scallions, oyster sauce
- Ingredients to boil: Thinly sliced fatty beef/lamb, Spam, beef tripe, quail eggs, enoki mushrooms, lotus root, Napa cabbage, tofu skin (yuba), wide sweet potato noodles
Equipment
- Portable induction burner
- Split hot pot pan (Yin-Yang pot)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Dipping Station
Set up small bowls with sesame oil, garlic, cilantro, and oyster sauce so guests can mix their own dipping sauces.
- 2
Platter Ingredients
Arrange all the raw meats, vegetables, mushrooms, and noodles beautifully on platters around the table.
- 3
Fry the Base
If using a solid beef tallow soup base, place it in the hot pot pan and melt it over medium heat.
- 4
Add Aromatics
Add the ginger, garlic, leeks, extra dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns. Fry for 2 minutes to release their aroma.
- 5
Add Broth
Pour in the bone broth. Bring the pot to a violent, rolling boil.
- 6
Transfer to Table
Move the bubbling pot to the portable burner in the center of the dining table.
- 7
Cook Meat (Swish)
Diners pick up a slice of thin meat with chopsticks and 'swish' it in the boiling broth for 10-15 seconds until it changes color.
- 8
Cook Veggies
Denser items like lotus root, meatballs, and tripe can be dropped in and left to boil for 3-5 minutes.
- 9
Dip and Eat
Once an item is cooked, dip it into your personal sesame oil bowl to cool it down and add flavor, then eat.
- 10
Manage Broth
As the meal progresses, the broth will evaporate. Top it up periodically with hot water or extra bone broth.
- 11
Cook Noodles
Towards the end of the meal, when the broth is intensely flavorful, boil the sweet potato noodles.
- 12
Finish
The meal ends when everyone is full. Do not drink the spicy hot pot broth!
Cooking Tips
- The sesame oil dipping sauce is crucial in Sichuan hot pot; it coats the spicy food, protecting your stomach, and cools it down instantly.
- Always cook meats first to flavor the broth, and leafy greens last, as greens absorb the spicy oil heavily.
Variations
- Yin-Yang Pot: Use a divided pot with spicy broth on one side and a mild, milky bone broth (Qing Tang) on the other for those who can't handle the heat.
Nutrition Estimate
800 calories · 40g protein · 30g carbs · 60g fat · 5g fiber per serving
