Thursday, April 8, 2021

Smidgen Hot Pots





















Hot Pots are all the rage and for good reason.  These steaming hot vessels of broth, teeming with fresh and delicious vegetables, unctuous and savory meat proteins and tofu.  There's many elements to a good hot pot and no real wrong way to execute a successful one.  A spectacular broth doesn't need much more to satisfy a meal seeker, especially when some fresh crunch is implemented.  Overall, this is an inexpensive way to fill your tummy and build your hot pot to your desired level.  
This feature is called Smidgen Hot Pots, a smidgen of this, a smidgen of that.  All the ingredients in this recipe, sans the egg and broth, are remnants of meals past, both simple and complex.  The star of this dish is simply everything, but most notably, the smoked and grilled Boston Butt I prepared on behest of my Brother in Law Mark, he wanted some for his meals, as he headed back out on assignment for his job.  
I thinly sliced some of the upper smoky portion of the Boston Butt, which I partially cured in a briny solution before grilling imparting the bright pink color ( in case you thought it was too rare) and added to my already adequate Hot Pot as I would have in one of the magnificent Pho Bowls, I'd dined on from Saigon Cafe!  I loaded the pot down with  classic coleslaw blend, sliced jalapenos, marinated tofu, rice noodles and sliced green onion, all left over from the Pad Thai I made for dinner one night!  I made a simple super hot broth using Better than Bouillon chicken base and added a scant amount of Chinese Five Spice, sooooooo soothing. Underneath, the noodle of choice was a Korean brand.  The eggs were a last minute, yet suitable addition, welcome and pleasantly essential.  
A few weeks ago, I was able to locate the illusive spice I'd seen in almost all of the Mukbang videos I've grown to enjoy for the food culture and culinary delights.  The gorgeous red color of those dishes comes from Pure Red Pepper Powder, consisting of only the fleshy red pepper meat, no seeds, brilliant and heat forward, It's not for the faint at heart, the burn of this spice is noted immediately during and after it hits the taste buds, so by all means, tread lightly, good fellows haha.

I added some as garnish and also to the broth itself, fully aware and privy to its thermogenic effects on the metabolism and its punch of antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, plus polyphenols and phytochemicals, all good for the cells and body, an armor against certain cancers and diseases!  

The final results are pictured above, simple and delicious, all using just a smidgen of this and a smidgen of that....small parts to a big finish, every bite a little different than the last, good to the last drop! 


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