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Sichuan “Dry” Bison Hot Pot
Hot Pot, a Chinese dish where diners dunk bits of meat, mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables into bubbling oil or broth, is wildly popular across much of China and the Chinese diaspora. Hot pot is a fun meal and can get challengingly spicy, urging diners to drink more beer or baiju while enjoying it, making it popular with younger crowds.
There’s a new type of hot pot I’ve been hearing about lately: the dry pot.
For dry pot, one basically stir-fries meat and vegetables in a spicy, oily base, then serves it all heaped together in the center of the table. This style really appeals to me and I like that it is easier to make at home without any special fondue pots.
This dish carries lots of mala, the Mandarin term for “hot and numbing”, which describes the sensation that Sichuan chilies and Sichuan peppercorns leave in your mouth. First, it gets a little too spicy. Then the peppercorns kick in, causing your lips and tongue to develop a numbing, tingling sensation that allows you to eat more of the spicy chilies. Lots of fun!
You’re definitely going to need to hit up an Asian grocery store for some of these ingredients, but don’t worry so much about the vegetables. You could replace them with pretty much any vegetables, domestic or wild, that you have on hand. Just keep in mind that you want lots of different shapes, textures, and colors.
You can also easily swap out the bison in the recipe for what you have in the freezer, whether it be elk, venison, moose, duck, goose, pig, sheep, beef, lamb, goat, etc.
- Prep Time1 hr
- Cook Time1 hr
- Total Time2 hr
- Ready in2 Hrs
- Yield4 servings
Ingredients
For the Infused Oil
- 1⁄2 cup neutral oil (canola, avocado, peanut, vegetable, etc.
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole dried chilies
- 2 slices ginger
- 1⁄2 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 black cardamom (optional)
- 1 red chili, sliced
For the Hot Pot
- 1⁄2 lb bison steak(s) (top or bottom round, loin, or sirloin)
- 2.5 oz fresh shiitakes, halved
- 18 oz Chinese or regular cauliflower or romanesco, broken into large bite-sized pieces
- 5 oz green beans, trimmed
- 5 oz gai lan or bok choy
- 7 oz peeled and sliced lotus root
- 14 oz purple yams, sliced 1/2” thick
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 shallots sliced
- 10 whole dried Sichuan (or arbol) chilies
- 3 tablespoons doubanjiang (chili-bean sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 long red chili, sliced thinly
Preparation
Add the oil to a small pot over low heat. Add the whole spices and let them infuse for 15-20 minutes. Strain out spices and discard. Set aside the oil.
Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Have a large bowl full of ice water nearby. Add the cauliflower and boil for 2 minutes, then transfer to cold water. Add the green beans and boil for 2 minutes, then transfer to cold water. Add bok choy or gail lan, boil for 1 minute, and add to water. Add sliced lotus root, boil 3 minutes, then transfer to cold water. Add the yams and blanch until fork-tender. Strain the water in the bowl and refill with cold water if it feels hot to the touch. Once all of the veggies are cool, pour off the water and dump the veggies into a colander to drain fully.
Add half the infused oil to a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bison steaks and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Remove to rest. Lower the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes or until browned.
Once steaks are well-rested, slice thinly.
Reduce heat to low. Add the other half of the oil (you can reserve some to drizzle over the final product as well), then add the garlic, ginger, spices, shallots, dried chilies, doubanjiang (chili-bean paste), scallions, sugar, and mix well. Let cook on low for 5-10 minutes.
Toss in the meat and drained, blanched vegetables. Increase heat to medium and cook, tossing for 5 minutes (toss yams in last so that they don’t break). Add cilantro and fresh chili at the last minute, reserving a small amount to sprinkle as a garnish.
Serve family style with lots of white rice. Enjoy!
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