Lamb Scorpion Hot Pot

羊蝎子火锅

Lamb Scorpion Hot Pot — Home-styleBeijing home cooking.

Ingredients

• lamb spine bones (with cartilage & marrow)
• ginger
• star anise
• light soy sauce
• Chinese black vinegar

Instructions

1. Rinse lamb spine bones under cold water. Place in a large pot with enough cold water to cover by 5 cm. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to medium and skim foam vigorously for 3 minutes. (Greyish foam rises steadily; surface clears as skimming continues.)
2. Drain bones, rinse again under cool water, then return to clean pot. Add ginger slices, star anise, light soy sauce, and 2 L cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and cover partially. (Tiny bubbles break gently at edges; steam rises softly from lid gap.)
3. Add Chinese black vinegar and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes. Taste broth — it should be deeply savory, slightly sweet from marrow, with balanced warmth. (Broth shimmers with light gloss; aroma becomes round and layered.)
4. Transfer hot pot to a portable electric hot plate or traditional charcoal brazier. Serve with raw accompaniments: blanched napa cabbage, fresh tofu cubes, hand-pulled noodles, and cilantro. (Steam curls upward from center of pot; bones rest upright in rich golden broth.)
5. Let guests dip and simmer their own ingredients directly in the pot. Remind them to scoop marrow from cracked bones with chopsticks — it’s the richest part. (Marrow glistens ivory-white inside split vertebrae.)