- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 2 l
- 20 g
- 20 g
- 3 cloves
- 3 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 400 g
- 300 g
- 200 g
- 200 g
- 200 g
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
Process
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Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in 200 ml warm water for 20 minutes. Squeeze them dry, remove the stems and slice the caps. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Pour the chicken stock into a wide pot or electric hotpot. Add the sliced shiitake, ginger coins, smashed garlic, 2 halved spring onions, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp salt and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes.
While the broth simmers, make the dipping sauce: whisk the sesame paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and chilli oil in a small bowl until smooth. If it is too thick, loosen with 1 tbsp hot broth. Set aside.
Arrange the beef sirloin, napa cabbage, bok choy, carrot, tofu and udon noodles on separate plates so guests can help themselves.
Taste the broth and adjust with a little more salt if needed. Keep it at a steady simmer, not a rolling boil, so the broth does not reduce too quickly.
At the table, each diner drops a few pieces of beef, vegetables, tofu or noodles into the simmering broth. Cook the beef for 20 to 30 seconds until it just turns pale, and the vegetables for 1 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon or chopsticks.
Dip the cooked pieces into the sesame-soy sauce and eat immediately. Continue cooking in batches, adding more stock if the broth gets low. Garnish with the remaining sliced spring onion.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is slicing the beef too thick. Partially freeze the sirloin for 20 minutes before slicing; it firms up and lets you cut paper-thin slices that cook in seconds.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil. A rolling boil makes the broth cloudy and evaporate quickly, and it toughens delicate vegetables.
- Cook the noodles last. If you add them early, their starch thickens the broth and makes the dipping sauce taste pasty.
- If you do not have a tabletop hotpot, use a wide electric frying pan or a portable induction cooker set to low so the broth stays hot throughout the meal.
Substitutions
- beef sirloin→lamb shoulder or chicken breast, sliced paper-thin
- napa cabbage→green cabbage or spinach
- udon noodles→rice noodles or thin egg noodles
- sesame paste→smooth peanut butter
- chicken stock→vegetable stock for a vegetarian version
Storage & reheating
Cool the leftover broth and any uncooked ingredients separately. Store the broth in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months. Keep raw beef, tofu and vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the broth in a pot over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes, before adding fresh ingredients. Do not reheat cooked noodles or vegetables, as they turn mushy.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my hotpot broth turn cloudy and greasy?
A hard boil emulsifies fat and starch into the broth, making it cloudy. Keep it at a gentle simmer and skim off any grey foam with a ladle during the first 10 minutes of cooking. Also avoid adding starchy noodles until the end of the meal.
Can I make the broth ahead of time?
Yes. Simmer the broth, cool it completely, then refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 3 days. The fat will solidify on top and you can lift it off for a cleaner broth. Reheat gently before serving and add a splash of water if it has reduced.
How thin should I slice the beef for hotpot?
Aim for slices about 2 mm thick, roughly the thickness of a coin. Partially freeze the sirloin for 20 minutes to firm it up, then slice against the grain with a sharp knife. Thicker slices turn chewy and take too long to cook in the broth.
Can I use a regular pot instead of a hotpot?
Yes. A wide saucepan or electric frying pan works well. Set it on a portable induction cooker or a hot plate in the middle of the table so the broth stays at a simmer. Just make sure the pot is stable and the cable is kept away from the heat.
What can I use instead of sesame paste in the dipping sauce?
Smooth peanut butter is the closest substitute, though it is sweeter, so reduce the sugar to a pinch. For a nut-free version, use 2 tbsp of plain yogurt mixed with 1 tsp soy sauce and a little chilli oil. The sauce should be thick enough to cling to the meat but still spoonable.
How do I know when the beef is cooked?
Beef slices are done as soon as they lose their raw red colour and turn pale brown, which takes about 20 to 30 seconds in simmering broth. Do not leave them in longer or they will overcook and turn tough. Lift them out with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and eat straight away.
Can I add other ingredients to the hotpot?
Yes, hotpot is very flexible. Try thinly sliced lamb, raw prawns, fish balls, enoki mushrooms, sliced lotus root, corn on the cob or dumplings. Add firm vegetables like carrot and lotus root first because they take longer, and delicate greens like bok choy last.
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