Korean Thinly Sliced Beef Hot Pot

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs beef brisket or chuck, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick)
• 8 cups beef broth or water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 6 cloves garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 3-inch piece kombu (dried kelp), wiped clean
• 3 stalks scallions, white and light green parts
• 1 whole medium yellow onion
• 2 whole carrots, medium
• 4 leaves napa cabbage, green leaves only
• 14 oz firm tofu
• ½ lb shiitake or cremini mushrooms
• 1 piece beef stock cube or 1 tablespoon anchovy powder
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 stalk scallion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups steamed short-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro or perilla leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the beef brisket or chuck in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour — the slight firmness makes slicing much easier. If your butcher can slice it for you, ask for 1/8-inch thickness and arrange the slices on a platter, separating each layer with plastic wrap. Otherwise, using a very sharp knife or cleaver, slice against the grain into 1/8-inch-thick pieces and arrange on a platter. Set aside.

2. 2

   Slice the kombu with a damp paper towel to remove any surface dust. Leave whole or cut into 2-inch pieces.

3. 3

   Peel the onion and cut it in half. Peel the carrots and cut them on the bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices — the angled cuts look more elegant and expose more surface area for faster cooking. Tear the napa cabbage leaves into 3-inch pieces by hand.

4. 4

   Drain the firm tofu and gently pat it dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

5. 5

   Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and trim the bottoms. Slice them 1/4-inch thick. If using large mushrooms, halve them first so they cook evenly.

6. 6

   Slice the scallion white parts into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice the light green and dark green parts separately — you'll add them at different times. Lightly smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Grate the ginger on a microplane into thin strands.

7. 7

   Make the soy dipping sauce: In a small serving bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and 1 minced garlic clove. Stir in 0.5 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds and 1 thinly sliced scallion. Set aside.

8. 8

   You are now ready to assemble at the table. This dish is cooked communally in a hot pot or shallow clay vessel (a wide, shallow pot works fine). Pour 8 cups of beef broth or water into your hot pot and set it on a portable heat source at the center of the table — or heat it on the stove first and transfer to a warming plate.

9. 9

   Add the kombu piece, 6 smashed garlic cloves, and the beef stock cube or anchovy powder to the broth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low so the broth stays at a steady, gentle simmer — you want small, regular bubbles, not a rolling boil, so the vegetables and tofu stay tender.

10. 10

    Once the broth is simmering, add the onion halves and carrot slices. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes until the carrots just begin to soften — taste a piece; you should feel gentle resistance when you bite, not a crunch. This is when the broth picks up sweet, deep vegetable flavors.

11. 11

    Add the mushroom slices, tofu cubes, and scallion white pieces to the pot. Stir gently — the tofu will bob and settle. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms release their aroma and the tofu is heated through.

12. 12

    Begin eating: Each diner picks up a slice of beef with chopsticks or a small ladle, swishes it in the simmering broth for just 3-5 seconds per side — the beef is so thin it cooks almost instantly. You'll see the color shift from deep red to gray-brown. Immediately dip into the soy sauce and eat with a spoonful of rice.

13. 13

    Continue cooking and eating in this interactive way. Add the napa cabbage leaves in batches as the pot empties — they wilt in about 1 minute. Add the ginger strands and light green scallion slices toward the end, about 30 seconds before eating them, so they stay bright and aromatic. Drizzle in the 1 tablespoon sesame oil at any point if the broth tastes thin or needs more richness.

14. 14

    After the beef is mostly consumed, ladle the vegetable-rich broth into bowls. Spoon in remaining vegetables and tofu. This broth is meant to be sipped and savored — it's infused with the beef's mineral sweetness and the vegetables' natural umami. Serve alongside steamed rice and small spoonfuls of gochujang on the side for those who want heat.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• sharp knife or cleaver
• 12-inch platter
• small serving bowl
• whisk
• microplane
• hot pot or shallow 10-inch wide pot
• portable heat source or warming plate
• small ladle or tongs
• chopsticks
• serving spoons

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