SPICY HOTPOT BROTH (SICHUAN)

SPICY HOTPOT BROTH (SICHUAN) image

Number Of Ingredients 12

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1/4 cup fermented black beans
1/3 cup shaoxing wine (or medium dry sherry)
3 inches fresh ginger, unpeeled
1/4 cup dried hot red chili peppers (Sichuanese preferred)
1/2 cup peanut oil (sub any vegetable oil with high smoke point)
2/3 cup drippings (original recipe beef or lard)
1/2 cup szechuan hot bean sauce
3 quarts beef stock
1 TBSP rock sugar
1/3 cup sichuanese fermented glutinous rice wine (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp szechwan pepper, whole

Steps:

1. Make a paste out of the black beans and 1 TBSP Shaoxing rice wine, using either mortar and pestle or food processor. 2. Wash the ginger and cut it into slices about the thickness of a coin. 3. Using scissors, cut chiles into 1" sections and remove seeds 4. Heat 3 TBSP oil in wok over med flame so it's hot but not smoking 5. Stir fry the chiles to flavor the oil. Oil should sizzle around the chiles DON'T BURN. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. 6. Rinse out the wok, dry, put on low heat/simmer 7. Add rest of oil and beef drippings 8. When drippings have melted completely, turn head to med 9. When oil just begins to smoke (250-300 F) add chile bean paste and stir fry until oil is rich and fragrant (60-90 seconds) 10. Paste SHOULD NOT BURN. Remove wok from heat if nec. or turn down to let paste sizzle in oil 11. When oil is red, add black bean mash and ginger 12. Stir fry until they are also fragrant 13. Add about 1-1/2 quarts of beef stock and bring to boil 14. When liquid reaches boil, add rock sugar, rest of Shaoxing wine and optional glutinous rice wine 15. Salt to taste 16. Add the chiles and Sichuan pepper (adjust quantity according to how 'hot and numbing' you want it) and leave broth to simmer for 15-20 minutes. 17. You are now ready to use this to dip ingredients to cook. NOTE: You will add the rest of the stock to top off the hot pot as the meal progresses.