Chongqing hot pot

Method

1. 1 Melt the beef fat, then roast the soybean paste, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger in it for 40 minutes over the lowest heat.
2. 2 Frying for a full 40 minutes is crucial for the oil to turn red, clear, and fragrant with a spicy kick, not bitter or burnt. This is the key to a delicious Chongqing-style hot pot.
3. 3 Pour 1.2 liters of broth into a nine-compartment pot, each compartment maintaining a different temperature and level of spiciness.
4. 4 Prepare the beef tripe by rubbing it with salt and rinsing it several times, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
5. 5 Dip the beef tripe for exactly 12 seconds in the middle compartment with the strongest boiling water, while the bean curd skin and Chinese cabbage should be dipped in the outer compartment with milder boiling water.

With an appliance

• Oven 2 hr

  Replace step 1: put beef fat, bean paste, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger into an uncovered pot, bake on the middle rack of a 140-degree oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes; keep step 3 the same and only pour in the broth after the oil has turned red.