MONGOLIAN HOT POT (TA PIN LO)
mongolian recipe
First make the broth:
1 1/2 quarts of water (or more)
3 tablespoons of Chinese wine or sake
1 leek stem, chopped
5 slices of ginger, sliced paper thin
2 teaspoons of salt
pinch of pepper
Mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil in the pot. Chicken or beef broth can be substituted for the water.
(at least 6 cups). While the mixture simmers, bring to the table about 1/2 pound each of the following meats and seafood, cleaned and cut into small pieces:
Shrimp
oysters
Fish fillets
chicken livers
Chicken steaks
Beef
pig or lamb
Cow liver
For vegetables and seasonings, include:
1/2 head of cabbage, quartered
1/2 pound spinach or Chinese lettuce
A small dipping bowl with Chinese wine, soy sauce, sesame seed paste, peanut butter,
fermented tofu, chopped leek
4 ounces clear noodles
1 pound Chinese noodles, cooked
Each guest serves the food they want and drops it into the broth, cooking it until it changes colour. They then eat them with their own choice of seasoning. The noodles are cooked last and the remaining broth is served as the last course soup.
TA PIN LO SAUCE
To make this Mongolian concoction, you’ll need to start several weeks in advance, as some of the ingredients are fermented for at least that long.
1 teaspoon of green leek paste (kao choy)
A few drops of red pepper oil
1 tablespoon red bean paste (nam yue)
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground sesame seeds
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce (light type)
A few drops of Chinese wine, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, sesame oil
To make the kao choy, finely chop 1/2 pound of small green leeks and mash into a paste. Mix with 4 garlic cloves, crushed and 3 tablespoons of salt. Close tightly in a jar and ferment at room temperature for about a month.
Red pepper oil is an infusion of hot peppers in peanut (or other vegetable) oil. Use twice as much oil as
peppers, simmer for 1/2 hour and strain, discarding the pulp. Store in bottle until needed. Flavoring a little oil with Tabasco will produce a reasonable approximation of the heat desired in this recipe.
Nam yue is made by pounding some boiled red beans with salt and enough water to make a thick paste. Sesame seed paste, peanut butter, and sugar are also sometimes added, depending on the desired salty or sweet flavor. Nam yue can be bought in jars, ready to eat.
Mix these and all other ingredients together and place in individual sauce bowls for Mongolian hot pot eaters.