Taiwanese Hot Pot and Homemade Meatballs

My kids love eating Shabu Shabu (Japanese hot pot) and Taiwanese hot pot.  Japanese hot pot, we call “nabe,” typically has a basic soup base using Kombu or Dashi.  On the other hand, Chinese hot pot is more creative, ranging from super spicy hot pot to just simple chicken broth.

We love hot pot because it not only tastes good, but it is also extremely simple to serve for a large party.  Everyone cooks their food in a big shared pot.  Today I will share our Taiwanese hot pot and meatball recipe that I make occasionally for hot pot, just to provide a variety of cooking ingredients besides the typical frozen options (dumplings, fish/shrimp ball, fish cake, etc).

*****

Dipping Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Yield: Makes 1

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. Taiwanese BBQ Sauce (spicy or non-spicy Satay Sauce)
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1?tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• Chopped green onions
• Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

*****

Taiwanese Hot Pot Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1-2 package(s) of chicken broth
• Water
• 2 green onions, chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 5 garlic cloves sliced
• 1/2 inch ginger, sliced
• Hot pot ingredients (see below)

a) Enoki mushroom, napa cabbage, Tong Hao (Garland Chrysanthemum or Shungiku in Japanese), deep fried tofu, carrots

b) Corns, Mochi in Aburaage (my favorite from Japanese hot pot), Tokyo Negi, Maitake mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms.

This is how you prepare Mochi stuffed in Aburaage (this is NOT Inari-Age for Inarizushi).

Discard the shiitake mushroom stipe (stem)

c) Thinly sliced fatty beef for Shabu Shabu (Find a package with well marbled beef)

d) Shrimp

e) Fish ball & dumpling variety

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add 1-2 chicken broth (I use an organic one from Trader Joe’s) and add water until the pot is half full. Add 2 green onions (chopped), 5 garlic cloves (sliced), half inch ginger (sliced). Bring it to a boil.

2. First, add some of hard vegetables such as corns, Tokyo Negi, white part of napa cabbage (near the root), Tong Hao stem, Shiitake Mushrooms, Enoki, frozen dumplings, etc. Cook covered.

3. When the soup boils again, reduce heat but simmer. Most of ingredients you put in earlier are not ready yet. Keep cooking until they are fully cooked (10-12 minutes). Meanwhile, add homemade meatballs, mochi in Aburaage, and (soft) ingredients in it and cook.

4. When you cook sliced beef, hold a piece on the end of chopsticks and dip it in the boiling broth. Gently shake the beef inside the broth for 15-20 seconds. The beef is now ready to consume. Try not to leave inside the broth for too long because it’ll harden and won’t taste as good.

5. Dip in the sauce you made above to eat.

Tagged as: beef, fish cake & fish ball, ground pork, pork, shrimp, sliced beef, tofu, tokyo negi