Sichuan Hot Pot Broth Recipe
Sichuan hot pot, renowned for its unique flavors of numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant, has captured the attention of countless diners. Central to its aromatic essence is a crucial seasoning: beef tallow hot pot base. This ingredient adds a highly enticing savory and spicy taste to the hot pot, making every ingredient dipped into it delicious and appetizing.
INGREDIENTS
- 5L plain beef tallow
DIRECTIONS
Prepare all ingredients and have ready 100g of bullet head chili peppers, 150g of facing heaven chili peppers, and 100g of er jing tiao chili peppers.
Tip:
Bullet head chili peppers are darker in color, chosen for their appearance; facing heaven chili peppers are spicier, chosen for their flavor; er jing tiao chili peppers have a distinct aroma, chosen for their fragrance. Adjust according to personal taste preferences.
Rinse all the chili peppers thoroughly and soak them in hot water for at least four hours, changing the water to hot if it cools down during soaking.
After the dried chili peppers have softened from soaking, blend them in a food processor until finely chopped.
Take 25g white cardamom, 15g thyme, 10g cloves, 20g bay leaves, 25g fennel seeds, 25g cinnamon sticks, 25g star anise, 25g Sichuan peppercorns, 20g lesser galangal, 15g amomum fruit, and 25g Amomum tsao-ko. Combine all the spices, grind them into powder, and mix in 25g of high-proof white wine. Set aside.
Tip:
Grinding into powder and adding white wine help release the fragrance of the spices.
Prepare the seasoned vegetables: slice 100g of old ginger, chop 80g of garlic into small pieces, cut 100g of cilantro into segments, slice 200g of onions, diagonally cut 100g of scallions, and cut approximately 500g of shallots into segments. Set aside for later use.
Take 20g of fermented rice, 15g of rock sugar, 25g of fermented black beans, and 600g of chili bean paste. Soak 50g of green Sichuan peppercorns in 100g of white wine, and soak 50g of red Sichuan peppercorns in 150g of hot water. Arrange them on a plate for later use.
Take 5 liters of plain beef tallow and heat it in a pot until it melts and the oil temperature rises.
Add all the seasoned vegetables into the pot with the melted beef tallow. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove and discard the vegetables once they are slightly caramelized.
Keep the heat at medium and add the blended chili peppers to the pot. Stir gently to evenly distribute them and loosen them up. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring gently and constantly to prevent sticking.
Next, add the ground spices to the pot and stir-fry over high heat for about 20 seconds to release their flavors. Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer gently for another 15 minutes, continuing to stir-fry to prevent sticking.
Then add the chili bean paste and fermented black beans. Stir-fry over high heat for about 30 seconds until the chili bean paste is fragrant and loosened. Reduce the heat to low again and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly throughout the process.
Add the rock sugar and fermented rice. Keep the heat low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Finally, strain the green Sichuan peppercorns from the wine and the red Sichuan peppercorns from the water. Add them to the pot and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Tip:
After cooling down, cover the pot tightly to prevent condensation from dripping into the base. Let it sit for three days to allow the various seasonings to continue releasing their flavors.