Best Ways to Cook Delicious Beef Hotpot? 4 Tasty and Simple Beef Hotpot Recipes at Home – Mytour

Beef is known for its nutritional richness, often appearing in meals with various cooking methods. Today, Mytour will introduce you to a beef hotpot dish perfect for cold and windy days. Check out the article below for the best ways to cook delicious beef hotpot!

1. Introduction to Beef Hotpot

Beef hotpot is a popular dish in the Southern provinces, especially in Saigon, where it is a daily dining menu staple. The beef hotpot has a broth that is somewhat similar to beef noodle soup but lighter. It adds the characteristic sweetness from simmering bones for many hours.

The broth of the hotpot is fragrant with lemongrass and onions. Another highlight is that the beef hotpot always includes tenderly simmered beef tendons and cartilage. The dipping items on the side include lean meat, brisket, skin, along with mushrooms, tofu, bean curd sheets, and especially, cannot be without taro. So, if you don't know what delicious things to make with beef, think about making beef hotpot right away!

Photo: @damanfood

Beef hotpot has many cooking methods, adjusting the spices. In this article, Mytour Blog will introduce you to the best ways to make delicious beef hotpot with easily accessible and easy-to-cook ingredients!

2. The Tastiest and Easiest Ways to Cook Delicious Beef Hotpot

You can explore delicious and easy-to-make beef hotpot dishes below to treat your family and friends:

Beef and Crab Paste Hotpot

Beef and crab paste hotpot is a beloved dish, especially during cool weather. The hot and sweet broth, fragrant crab paste, and tender beef combine to create a delicious and wonderful dish. Notably, this hotpot is a fusion of nutritious and enticing ingredients that are good for your health.

Vinegar-dipped Beef Hotpot

Vinegar-dipped beef is one of the incredibly delicious beef hotpot dishes that many people love. This dish has a sour, spicy, and fragrant taste that will delight anyone who tastes it. The tender beef slices dipped in the tangy hotpot broth will bring you an exquisite taste experience.

Spicy Fermented Bean Paste Beef Hotpot

If you're wondering if there's a beef hotpot dish that you can eat endlessly without getting tired, Mytour has the answer: the rolled beef corn hotpot. Unlike other hotpots that often have a rich flavor, the rolled beef corn hotpot stands out with a sweet and sour taste, refreshing and light.

Not only does it have a distinctive flavor, but the way of eating is also unique. With this hotpot, you can not only dip the ingredients and eat conventionally, but you can also eat it like a roll. Thinly sliced beef dipped into the hotpot for cooking, placed on a piece of ready-made rice paper with lettuce, coriander, mint, a bit of fresh vermicelli, and slices of pineapple, green banana,... All harmonizing with the flavor of the dipping fish sauce.

Photo: Collected

Mushroom Beef Hotpot

Mushroom beef hotpot is also a beef hotpot dish loved by many for being easy to make, delicious, and easy to eat. The sweet and refreshing taste of mushrooms, along with the delicious flavor of beef, is incredibly mouthwatering. The beauty of mushroom beef hotpot is that you can freely choose various types of mushrooms and vegetables without being restricted to specific ingredients. So even with just 1 - 2 types of mushrooms, you can quickly make a pot of delicious and nutritious hotpot to enjoy.

Mushrooms are known for being nutritious, providing many nutrients for the body and are also considered a remedy in traditional medicine. When combined with beef, it creates a very nutritious and health-friendly dish.

Photo: Collected

Assorted Beef Hotpot

The last beef hotpot dish that Mytour brings to you is the assorted beef hotpot. For those who enjoy eating parts such as beef tendons, tail, tripe, etc., this hotpot will be a perfect choice. Moreover, delicious beef combined with various mushrooms and accompanying vegetables creates a fragrant and flavorful hotpot with a distinctive taste. The rich, creamy, and aromatic broth, along with each piece of tender and flavorful beef, is both satisfying and delicious.

Photo: Collected

Taro Beef Hotpot

Taro beef hotpot, also known as assorted beef hotpot, is a traditional and familiar beef hotpot dish. The ingredients for this dish can be easily found at local markets or supermarkets. The characteristic flavor of taro beef hotpot includes a light and clear broth, quite similar to beef noodle soup, with the fragrant aroma of lemongrass and onions.

Ingredients

• 500 grams oxtail
• 300 grams lean beef
• 300 grams beef tendon
• 300 grams taro
• 200 grams lotus root
• 100 grams white tofu
• 1 bag straw mushrooms (or enoki mushrooms)
• 5 stalks lemongrass
• 2 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion
• 2 ginger roots
• Minced garlic, chopped shallots
• 1 packet Beef Hotpot Spice Mix
• Accompanying vegetables: water spinach, Chinese broccoli, perilla leaves
• Seasonings: seasoning powder, sugar, vinegar, chili sauce, hoisin sauce

Photo: Collected

Note: You can customize the accompanying ingredients according to your preferences, add/remove different types of meat or seafood

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Clean the beef tendon, boil for about 5 minutes (add smashed lemongrass), remove and let it cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. For the lean beef, you can leave it whole or marinate it with chopped onions, garlic, seasoning powder, shrimp paste, and a bit of black pepper.
• Oxtail: Clean the outer skin by scalding, scrape off the burnt layer, and wash with clean water. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Parboil the oxtail for 1 minute with smashed ginger and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then pour out the water and wash the oxtail again for a thorough cleaning.

Photo: Collected

• Smash 4 lemongrass stalks, finely chop 1 remaining stalk for the dipping sauce. Clean the ginger, cut into thin slices.
• Peel and clean the lotus root and taro, then cut into pieces. Cut the tofu into squares. Peel the onion and slice it.
• Roast the cinnamon and star anise in a pan over low heat for fragrance.
• Cut off the mushroom stems, soak them in diluted saltwater, and wash them with clean water.
• Remove wilted leaves from the vegetables, soak in saltwater, and wash thoroughly.

Step 2: Simmer Beef Tendon and Oxtail

• First, marinate the oxtail with hoisin sauce, half of the chopped shallots, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar. Marinate for 1 – 2 hours.
• After marinating, simmer the oxtail. Heat a pot, add cooking oil, sauté chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass until fragrant. Then add the oxtail, stir-fry to sear the meat, and pour in enough water to cover the oxtail. Add the roasted cinnamon and star anise, simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Note: If using a pressure cooker, the simmering time will be faster. If using a regular pot, it will take about 1.5 – 2 hours over low heat.
• In another pot, simmer the beef tendon for about 20 – 25 minutes until tender. Remove and let it cool. Soak it in a bowl of cold water to prevent it from turning black while maintaining its crunchiness when eaten.

Photo: Collected

Step 3: Prepare the Broth

• Once the oxtail is tender, turn off the heat and add enough water for 4 servings. When the water boils, add 4 tablespoons of black bean sauce, 2 tablespoons of chili bean sauce (to enhance the richness and sweetness of the broth), seasonings, and chicken broth powder to taste. Add taro, lotus stems, and the simmered beef tendon.

Step 4: Prepare Dipping Sauce

The authentic way to enjoy beef hotpot is to have it with either fermented tofu or fish sauce dipping sauce.

• Fermented tofu dipping sauce: Mix about 3 cubes of white fermented tofu with 3 teaspoons of the tofu brine, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add chili sauce (if you like it spicy) and thinly sliced lemongrass.
• Fish sauce dipping sauce: Pour fish sauce into a bowl, add minced pineapple and chili, sugar, and lime juice, stir well, and taste to adjust the flavor.

Photo: Collected

Finished Dish

The beef hotpot is filled with the fragrant aroma of lemongrass, cloves, and cinnamon. The pot is rich with oxtails, tendons, taro, lotus stems, and more. The oxtail is tender and flavorful on the inside, while the skin is crispy and intact. The broth is robust, sweet, and carries the distinctive aroma of beef. Enjoy the hotpot with a variety of greens, along with noodles, vermicelli, or tofu skin—absolutely delightful.

Photo: @huongtrang4791

Korean Beef Hotpot

The Korean Beef Hotpot is a dish you can't miss. Unlike the hearty flavor of Taro Beef Hotpot, the Korean version offers a sweet and spicy taste. Making this hotpot and gathering with friends is a perfect combo!

Ingredients

• 500 grams of beef brisket (or your preferred cut)
• 1 bag of shiitake mushrooms
• 200 grams of oyster mushrooms
• 150 grams of enoki mushrooms
• 1 can of young tofu
• 1 small turnip
• 1 piece of dried seaweed (purchase at a Korean grocery store). If unavailable, you can use bone broth
• White sesame seeds
• White wine
• Minced garlic
• 2 pears
• Konnyaku noodles or Korean noodles/vermicelli
• Coriander, carrots, onions
• Seasonings: soy sauce, fish sauce, pepper, sugar, sesame oil

Image: Collected

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Trim and separate the mushrooms, soak in salted water for 10 – 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water. Squeeze out excess water.
• Separate the leaves of the coriander, chop them finely, and wash them thoroughly. Peel and julienne the carrots. Peel and cut the turnip into wedges.
• Trim the roots of the green onions. Cut the white part separately and chop the green part into sections. Peel and finely chop the onions.
• Cut the young tofu into bite-sized pieces (you can cut it into square blocks or thin slices).
• Peel the pear, cut it into pieces, and grind it into a fine paste (strain the pulp).
• Rinse the Konnyaku noodles, strain, and wash them several times with clean water. Set aside to drain.
• Slice the beef thinly and marinate with: 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of pear juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of honey (if not available, add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar), 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (mirin), 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, pepper, and white sesame seeds.

Image: Collected

Step 2: Prepare the Korean Beef Hot Pot Broth

Pour 1.5 – 2 liters of water into a pot, add seaweed, turnip, 1/4 onion, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat. Remove the inner ingredients, season the broth to taste.

Step 3: Presentation

Prepare the hot pot, arrange onions, watercress, carrots, green onions, various mushrooms, and tofu around the edges. In the center, place the beef marinated in sauce. Then pour the broth, use chopsticks to separate the beef for quick cooking, and start enjoying the delicious Korean beef hot pot.

Image: Collected

Final Presentation

Korean Beef Hot Pot will have vibrant colors and rich flavors from various ingredients. The natural sweetness from turnips and pears is delightful. The aromatic, savory beef will harmonize the overall taste.

3. Tips to make beef hot pot as tasty as in restaurants

When preparing delicious beef hot pot, consider the following issues:

For the best hot pot beef, what part of the meat should you choose?

Beef is divided into two sides based on the spine, each side is further divided into front and rear meat portions. The leg and shoulder muscles are the main moving parts of the cow, containing many muscle groups, resulting in tough meat. Meanwhile, the tender and easy-to-eat meat is found in the sirloin and rib sections.

When it comes to beef for hot pot, there are various options based on preferences. Mytour will briefly describe the characteristics of each meat part for you to choose from:

• Chuck (flank): meat with a mix of fat and tendons. Chuck comes with more fat and tendons known as brisket. Chuck is quite tough, while brisket has two types, either soft or crispy. You can parboil and briefly simmer; when eating, dip it back into the hot pot.
• Beef brisket: the most commonly used meat in hot pot. Located in the belly of the cow, a mix of lean and fat, tender and flavorful.
• Shoulder clod: the meat at the back of the cow, tender, sweet, and one of the best-tasting beef cuts.
• Beef sirloin: divided into sirloin cap and sirloin turtle. The meat in this section is tender, flavorful, and has high nutritional value, making it the most expensive.
• US beef chuck roll: the beef is cut from the neck area of the US cow. Chuck roll has a mix of fat and thin tendons, offering a flavorful, sweet, and crispy taste.

Image: Collected

How to Cook Delicious Beef Hot Pot

Depending on the type of hot pot, there will be different requirements for ingredients and spices. Just follow the instructions, and you'll have a flavorful beef hot pot broth. However, the broth base should be made from boiled bones to achieve a sweet taste. You can use beef or pork bones for the broth.

Clean the bones thoroughly, put them in a pot, add enough cold water to cover the bones, and boil for about 5 minutes. Remove the bones and wash them again to eliminate dirt and odor.

Add the bones and water to the pot, simmer for the second round. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 1-2 hours (during simmering, add ginger and garlic, and skim off the foam to make the broth fragrant and clear).

To enhance the sweetness of the broth, you can add white radish to simmer together, and season with spices such as seasoning powder or broth powder.

Photo: collected

If you can't find bones, you can use the broth from boiling beef (with beef brisket or flank) to make the hot pot broth. Then, add spices and season to taste.

For some beef hot pot dishes, you can buy ready-made hot pot spice packs and customize the flavor by adding or reducing certain spices to achieve the perfect hot pot.

Marinating Beef for Hot Pot

Marinating beef for hot pot is quite simple. The key is to have fresh and quality beef.

After washing the beef, pat it dry, and slice it into thin pieces. Marinate the beef with julienned ginger, seasoning powder, and cooking oil (to prevent the beef from releasing too much water during hot pot, preserving its tenderness and flavor).

Photo: collected

You can use various nutritious parts of beef to create different hot pot dishes, for example:

• Oxtail hot pot
• Rib hot pot
• Beef shank hot pot
• Beef tripe hot pot
• Beef bone marrow hot pot
• Beef tendon hot pot
• Beef ball hot pot
• Beef foot hot pot
• Beef brisket hot pot
• Beef marrow hot pot

What vegetables to eat with beef hot pot?

Beef hot pot can be enjoyed with a variety of vegetables, most commonly with spinach, sweet cabbage, water spinach, coriander, chrysanthemum leaves, and more. Some aromatic herbs like basil, cilantro, perilla leaves, and Vietnamese balm can be added for extra flavor.

Image: collected