SPICY Sichuan Hot Pot Base Recipe (with Beef Tallow)

fermented broad bean paste

🥗Healthier: miso paste

💰Cheaper: soy sauce

Miso can provide a similar umami flavor.

chili oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil with chili flakes

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil with chili flakes

Both alternatives can add heat without the cost.

Sichuan peppercorns

🥗Healthier: black pepper

💰Cheaper: white pepper

Black pepper can mimic some of the heat.

chicken stock

🥗Healthier: vegetable stock

💰Cheaper: water with bouillon cubes

Vegetable stock is lower in calories.

Prepare 100 grams of dried red chilies, cut into sections and shake out the seeds.

Soak the chilies in boiling hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Wash and cut cilantro, slice ginger, chop onion, and cut green onions into sections.

Prepare the other ingredients: 1 tablespoon fermented black soybeans, 1/2 cup Doubanjang, 1 tablespoon rock sugar, 3 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, 10 white cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 star anise, 2 pieces Chinese cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, and 5 grams fennel seeds.

Drain the chilies and blend them into a coarse paste using a food processor.

Soak the spices in Shaoxing wine to release their flavors.

Melt beef tallow in a wok or large pot, then add the aromatics and fry for 10 to 15 minutes until browned.

Remove the aromatics with a strainer and reduce heat.

Stir in the chili paste and spices, cooking on low heat for 10 minutes.

Add Sichuan Doubanjiang and fermented black beans, simmer for 8 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Add Sichuan peppercorn and sugar, cooking for 2 more minutes before turning off the heat.

Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant container and let it cool to solidify.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens