Chongqing spicy hotpot

Method

1. 1 Soak dried Sichuan chili peppers in hot water for 15 minutes, then coarsely grind them into chili paste.
2. 2 Melt the pork fat, then sauté the fermented soybean paste, black beans, ginger, and garlic over low heat for 15 minutes until the oil turns dark red.
3. 3 Add the crushed chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry for another 5 minutes to release all the flavors.
4. 4 Pour in chicken broth and Shaoxing wine, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes to allow the broth to develop a rich flavor.
5. 5 Arrange the thinly sliced beef, tofu, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, and vermicelli noodles on plates around the pot.
6. 6 Dip each ingredient into the boiling hot pot; the beef is only dipped for 15 seconds before being removed and dipped in sesame garlic oil.

With an appliance

• Oven 2 hr 4 min

  Replace step 4: cover the hot pot and place it on the middle rack of the oven at 170 degrees for 22 minutes; the cooking time is almost the same as on a stovetop, but the flavors are evenly distributed, less oil splatters, and you don't need to constantly monitor the heat. When eating, you can still transfer it to the stovetop for dipping.