MONGOLIA HOT POT (TA PIN LO)
mongolian recipe
First make the broth:
1 1/2 quarts of water (or more)
3 tablespoons Chinese wine or sake
1 leek stalk, chopped
5 slices ginger, sliced paper-thin
2 teaspoons of salt
pinch of pepper
Mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil in the pot. You can substitute the water for chicken or beef broth
(at least 6 cups). While the mixture simmers, bring to the table about 1/2 pound of each of the following meats and seafood, cleaned and cut into small pieces:
Shrimp
oysters
Fish fillets
chicken livers
Chicken steaks
Beef
pork or lamb
Cow liver
For vegetables and condiments, include:
1/2 head 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, minced leek
4 ounces clear noodles
1 pound Chinese noodles, cooked
Each guest helps themselves to the foods they want and drops them into the broth, cooking them until they change color. They then eat them with their own choice of condiments. The noodles are cooked last and the remaining broth is served as the last course soup.
TA PIN LO SAUCE
To prepare this Mongolian brew, you’ll need to start several weeks in advance, as some of the ingredients ferment for at least that long.
1 teaspoon 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 kao choy, finely chop 1/2 pound of small green leeks and mash into a paste. Mix with 4 cloves of garlic, ground 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 mashing some boiled red beans with salt and enough water to make a thick paste. Sometimes sesame seed paste, peanut butter, and sugar are also added, depending on the salty or sweet flavor desired. Nam yue can be purchased in jars, ready to eat.
Mix these and all other ingredients together and spoon into individual sauce bowls for Mongolian hot pot eaters.