Shacha Pork Personal Hot Pot
沙茶豬肉個人小火鍋·(shā chá zhū ròu gè rén xiǎo huǒ guō)
湯與麵 (Tāng yǔ Miàn) - Healing Soups and Comforting Noodles
A silver-and-red tin of Bullhead shacha sauce sits permanently in the refrigerator door: when a Taiwanese grandmother wants a weeknight hot pot, she relies on the brilliant shortcut of the island's stone hot pot joints, the pre-sauté. By frying dried shrimp, sliced scallions, and gritty Bullhead shacha sauce in sesame oil—and quickly searing the paper-thin pork shoulder curls right in the shallow stainless-steel pot before the broth ever hits the pan—you build a foundation of caramelized umami in ten minutes flat. Watch the napa cabbage ribs wilt into the broth, stir a raw egg yolk into your dipping bowl, and eat straight from the burner.
Before you start
Assemble the dipping sauce bowls before you turn on the stove.
Divide the remaining 4 tablespoons of shacha sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, minced garlic, chopped scallion greens, and cilantro among individual small bowls. Drop a raw pasteurized egg yolk into each bowl; diners will stir it directly into the gritty paste to create a rich, velvety emulsion that clings to the hot pork.
Arrange your vegetables, tofu, meatballs, soaked glass noodles, and pork on platters near the stove.
Once the aromatics hit the oil, this dish moves fast.
Ingredients
- toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- dried shrimp2 tbsp
- med yellow onion1/2
- garlic4 small cloves
- scallions3
- Bullhead shacha sauce5 tbsp
- pork shoulder or pork belly1 lb
- large napa cabbage1/2
- sweet corn1
- med tomato1
- low-sodium chicken broth3 cup
- water3 cup
- firm tofu8 oz
- Taiwanese pork meatballs or fish balls8 oz
- enoki mushrooms1
- dried mung bean glass noodles2
- soy sauce2 tbsp
- black vinegar2 tsp
- garlic2 small cloves
- fresh cilantro2 tbsp
- large pasteurized egg yolks2
Method
- 01
Heat the sesame oil in a wide, shallow pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the dried shrimp and fry gently for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and intensely fragrant, letting their oceanic funk bloom into sweet umami.
- 02
Toss in the sliced onion, smashed garlic, and white scallion segments.
Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions soften and take on a light golden edge.
- 03
Push the aromatics to the perimeter of the pot and spoon 1 tablespoon of shacha sauce directly into the hot oil in the center.
Let it sizzle for 15 seconds until the kitchen smells nutty and glorious.
- 04
Add half of the sliced pork to the pot and sear quickly for 45 seconds until the meat loses its raw pink color but remains slightly undercooked.
Using tongs or chopsticks, transfer the par-cooked pork to a clean plate and set aside. Leaving those caramelized meat drippings in the bottom of the pot is the secret to an instant master stock.
- 05
Pile the napa cabbage, corn wheels, and tomato quarters directly over the drippings, then pour in the chicken broth and water.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a brisk simmer for 8 minutes until the cabbage wilts and releases its natural sweetness into the savory, shacha-slicked broth.
- 06
Tuck the tofu cubes, meatballs, and enoki mushrooms into the bubbling pot and simmer for 4 minutes until the meatballs bob to the surface.
If you are using a tabletop butane burner, transfer the pot to the center of the table now; otherwise, finish it right on the stove.
- 07
Add the soaked glass noodles, the remaining raw pork slices, and the reserved par-cooked pork along with any juices on the plate.
Swish the meat gently in the boiling broth for 15 to 20 seconds just until tender and cooked through.
- 08
Kill the heat and serve immediately straight from the pot or ladled into deep individual bowls alongside the dipping sauce.
Drag every piece of pork and noodle through your egg-enriched shacha sauce before eating.
Notes
Look for Bullhead brand shacha sauce in the silver tin at your Asian grocer.
Made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, dried shrimp, and brill fish, it is the non-negotiable soul of Taiwanese hot pot. Accept no substitutes.
If you spot dried flatfish (扁魚, biǎn yú) at the market, grab it.
It is the ultra-traditional Taiwan hot pot secret weapon. Fry 2 small pieces in the oil until crisp and golden before adding the onions, crumbling them into the broth in place of the dried shrimp.
No Asian market nearby for pre-sliced hot pot meat?
Buy a well-marbled boneless pork shoulder steak or piece of pork belly at your regular supermarket, pop it into the freezer for 45 minutes until firm but not rock-solid, and slice it against the grain as paper-thin as possible with your sharpest chef's knife.
Always dilute your store-bought broth with water.
Between the savory shacha base, the reduction from simmering, and the salty dipping sauce, straight stock will overwhelm the dish.