How to Make Delicious and Affordable Beef Oxtail Hotpot at Home

Prepare the Oxtail

When buying oxtail, ask the butcher to sear it briefly. Searing enhances the flavor of the oxtail, particularly giving the skin a beautiful, brown color and a crunchy texture that holds up well during simmering.

Next, rub the oxtail with coarse salt and ginger wine. Oxtail has a distinct, strong odor, much more potent than other beef parts, so be sure to scrub it thoroughly.

Rinse the oxtail well, let it drain, and cut it into pieces. Since the meat will shrink during cooking, avoid cutting the pieces too small.

Before simmering, blanch the oxtail. Boil a pot of water, add a tablespoon of coarse salt to clean the oxtail. When the water boils, add the oxtail and blanch for about 10 minutes. Then, remove and rinse again.

Next, place the oxtail in a pot, add 2 smashed lemongrass stalks, sliced ginger, and 1.5 teaspoons of seasoning powder. Cover with water, close the lid, and simmer. If using beef tendon for dipping, clean and add it to the pot with the oxtail.

Simmer the oxtail for about 3 hours until tender while the skin remains crunchy. If you rush the simmering process, the oxtail will be tough and difficult to eat. To save time, you can use a pressure cooker.

After 3 hours, remove the oxtail and soak it in a bowl of ice water with squeezed lemon juice. The lemon ice water helps keep the oxtail skin crunchy and prevents discoloration.

Once the oxtail cools, rinse it clean, drain, and arrange on a plate. When ready to eat, dip the oxtail in the hotpot broth to warm it up before serving.

Prepare the Beef Bones

Rub the beef bones with coarse salt and rinse thoroughly, then roast or sear them to remove any residual blood in the marrow, which helps eliminate odors. You can roast the bones in an oven, microwave, or air fryer. If using an air fryer, set it to 200°C (392°F) for 15 minutes. Roast until the bones are slightly charred.

Rinse the bones again, scraping off any charred bits, then blanch them with coarse salt, similar to how you blanched the oxtail. After blanching, rinse the bones thoroughly and prepare them for simmering.

Simmer the beef bones with a peeled, roasted onion, 3 peeled, roasted shallots, and a roasted ginger root. These ingredients are highly effective in neutralizing the odor of the beef bones. Add about 4.5 liters of water. Simmer the bones for 3-4 hours to extract the broth's sweetness. Ideally, when making noodle soup or pho, beef bones should be simmered for 12-16 hours.

Next, wash the black cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and whole peppercorns, then dry-roast them to release their aroma. These ingredients are used sparingly to add fragrance and counter the strong odors of the beef bones and oxtail while preserving the broth's signature flavor. Avoid using too much, as the spices may overpower the beef flavor. After roasting, add them to the simmering pot.

Alternatively, you can use a Chinese herb spice pack to make an herbal beef oxtail hotpot, but this will give the hotpot a more herbal flavor, masking the oxtail's unique taste.

Once the beef broth begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer gently. Do not cover the pot while simmering. Occasionally skim off the foam to keep the broth clear.

The simmering time for the beef bones and oxtail is similar, so you can prepare both steps simultaneously to save time.

Prepare Ingredients for the Broth

The vegetables for beef oxtail hotpot include daikon radish, kohlrabi, sweet corn, and carrots. Wash, peel, and cut them into chunks, then add them to the simmering beef bone broth about 30 minutes before turning off the heat. These vegetables add a natural sweetness and fragrance to the broth without making it too rich.

Peel and cut the taro into thick slices, then fry them lightly. Frying the taro enhances its creamy texture and prevents it from falling apart in the hotpot.

Mince the shallots and ginger, and use them to sauté the tomatoes and pineapple.

Cut the tomatoes into large wedges to prevent them from disintegrating during cooking. Core the pineapple and cut it into triangular pieces. Pineapple adds a sweet, tangy flavor and fragrance to the beef oxtail hotpot broth.

Cut the green onions into 3-4 cm (about 1-2 inch) lengths. Cut the onion into small wedges or round slices. Slice the chili diagonally. These ingredients are added to the broth to enhance its visual appeal, flavor, and crunchiness.

For the mushrooms and vegetables to be dipped in the hotpot, trim and wash them thoroughly in salted water, then drain. Slice the king oyster and straw mushrooms thinly for quicker cooking.

Prepare Dipping Sauces

Lime Pepper Salt: Mix 2 tablespoons of seasoning salt, 1/3 tablespoon of ground pepper, over 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice, and finely chopped chili.

Garlic Chili Soy Sauce: Mix 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice, minced garlic, and finely chopped chili.

Fermented Tofu Sauce: Mix 2 cubes of fermented tofu, 2 tablespoons of fermented tofu liquid, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice, and finely chopped chili. This sauce has a rich, creamy texture that some people love, though its taste can be a bit unusual for those unfamiliar with it.

Sauté the Tomatoes and Pineapple

Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan, then sauté the minced shallots and ginger until fragrant. Add 1 tablespoon of annatto oil for color and a bit of chili paste if you like it spicy. Next, add the tomatoes and pineapple. Season with 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, stir-fry briefly, then turn off the heat.

Add the sautéed tomatoes and pineapple to the hotpot broth just before serving to enhance the flavor and add a vibrant color to the broth.

Cook the Beef Oxtail Hotpot Broth

After simmering the beef bones for about 3 hours, add the vegetables and the strained oxtail broth. The total amount of broth should be about 4 liters. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the vegetables will have released their sweetness into the broth. Remove the vegetables, bones, and spices. You can add more oxtail broth to adjust the total amount to about 3.5 liters, which is enough for 5 servings.

Next, season the hotpot broth. Be careful not to season the broth too strongly, as the dipping sauce will add more flavor. Aim for a slightly mild taste.

For 3.5 liters of broth, add about 3 tablespoons of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of seasoning salt, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of MSG, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.

After seasoning, stir the broth well until the seasonings dissolve, then turn off the heat.