Shuan yangrou is not Sichuan hotpot and it is not meant to be. There is no chili oil slick, no heavy spice base. A tall copper pot is filled with plain water, a few scallions, ginger, a handful of goji berries and a piece of dried seafood for depth, and that is the whole broth. The flavor comes from the meat and from the sauce you build at the table.
The meat
Hand-cut or machine-sliced lamb from the northern grasslands is the standard. The slices are rolled into neat cones and should be thin enough to cook in ten to fifteen seconds. Ask for shangnao if you want the fattier shoulder cut, or hou tui for lean leg. Many restaurants also offer beef, but lamb is the point.
The sauce
Every table has a tray of jars and you mix your own. The core is sesame paste loosened with a little hot broth or water, then fermented bean curd, chopped chives, cilantro, minced garlic and chili oil. A spoon of sugar is optional but traditional. Mix it in a small bowl, not on your plate.
How to eat it
Swish the meat in the boiling broth with your chopsticks, lift it out, dip it and eat. Do not dump the whole plate in. After the lamb, the broth has picked up enough flavor to cook napa cabbage, frozen tofu, sweet potato noodles and hand-pulled mian tiao. Finish with a bowl of the broth, which by then is the best thing on the table.
Practical notes
This is a cold-weather meal. From November to March, popular spots have queues from 6 p.m. Book ahead or eat at 5:30. The pot is shared, so a group of four to six works best. Sesame is in the base sauce, so guests with a sesame allergy must speak up before the sauce tray arrives.
