Instant Boiled Mutton – What it is, How to eat, and Famous restaurants

Beijing dishes

Instant boiled mutton, also known as Mongolia Hotpot or Beijing Mutton Hotpot, is a kind of dish where guests put sliced mutton in a boiling pot, wait for a certain time (ranging from seconds to minutes), and then dip it into a specially-made sauce to enjoy.

Features

It differentiates from other styles of hotpots in several aspects. Firstly, the pot is typically made of copper, allowing better heat conduction so that the water can boil faster. Secondly, it stuffs charcoal in the pot to provide constant heat, which is a brilliant idea. Several hundreds of years ago, when this dish was mainly served in the winter, this method could significantly prolong the feast and make sure every guest was satisfied. Thirdly, there is a chimney on the pot. You can open or close the lid at its top to adjust the heat and control the process of dinner. And lastly, the soup it uses is pure water with green onions and gingers so that the flavor of the fresh mutton will not be spoiled.

How to enjoy

The first step is to make your order. Apart from various mutton, most people also order vermicelli (fensi), Chinese cabbage (baicai), and frozen tofu. These foods would absorb the flavor of the soup and become much more delicious.

Then, you can customize your sauce. The basic and traditional one is a combination of sesame sauce and peanut butter. You can add ingredients like fermented bean curd, leek, coriander, or chilly to it. Some restaurants have a sauce bar in the hall for you to operate, while others would serve these ingredients on your table.

Finally, when the water boils, the feast begins. You should first boil the mutton to enrich the flavor of the soup and then the various vegetables. Dip the sliced mutton into the soup for about 15 seconds. As long as its color changes, it is ready. Do not overcook it. Otherwise, the meat will lose its juice and become very hard to chew.

Famous restaurants

After considering the locations, services, and ratings in an App specializing in customers’ reviews, we recommend you the following restaurants, hoping they can bring you a wonderful dining experience.