My Favorite Sichuan Hot Pot Recipe, from 1972

thinly sliced beef

🥗Healthier: lean turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Turkey is lower in fat while chicken is often less expensive.

Sichuan peppercorns

🥗Healthier: black pepper

💰Cheaper: white pepper

Black pepper offers a similar heat profile.

chili oil

🥗Healthier: homemade chili paste

💰Cheaper: olive oil with crushed red pepper

Homemade options can be healthier and cheaper.

tofu

🥗Healthier: tempeh

💰Cheaper: cottage cheese

Tempeh is a protein-rich alternative.

Get your wok piping hot, shut off the heat, and add in 100 grams of beef tallow.

If you don’t have tallow, use Sichuan Caiziyou unrefined rapeseed oil, peanut oil, or lard.

Melt the tallow, then over a medium low flame, add in 60 grams of minced Pixian Doubanjiang.

Fry the paste for seven or eight minutes until the tallow is stained and the bean paste is a deeper red color.

Add in 25 grams of minced ginger and 15 grams of minced douchi, and fry for about three minutes until the ginger is cooked through.

Toss in 5 grams of Sichuan Bullet Chili and 10 grams of Sichuan Millet chili, mixing well.

Add in 5 grams of Sichuan peppercorn and 50 grams of Laozao, mixing everything together.

Drizzle in 0.5 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine and fry for a couple of minutes until combined.

Transfer the mixture to your hotpot and add in 3 cups of Chinese style beef stock.

Bring the stock to a boil, then season with 0.25 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon MSG, and 0.5 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens