| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 5 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Three 3-pound whole chickens
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 pound onions, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup tamarind paste
- 2 tablespoons chile paste, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic
- One 1- to 2-inch piece fresh ginger
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
- 8 large pieces oxtail (about 3 pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup minced onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound thin fresh egg noodles
- 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced
- 2 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 2 cups julienned carrots (matchsticks)
- 2 cups shredded daikon
- 1 bunch watercress, trimmed
- 1/2 bunch Thai basil
Instructions
- For the hot pot broth: Rinse the chickens really well before making the broth. Make sure you rinse out the cavities as well as the outsides to remove as much blood as possible.
- In a large pot, combine the chickens and 16 cups ice water. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer the broth for 3 hours.
- Trim the lemongrass stalk, then bruise it by hitting it with the back of a chef’s knife, down the length of the stalk. Add to the broth along with the onions, tamarind paste, chile paste, palm sugar, garlic and ginger and simmer for an additional hour.
- Season the broth with salt and pepper. Add the lime juice and additional chile paste if you want a spicier broth. Strain out the solids and reserve the chicken meat for another use.
- For the braised oxtail: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the oxtail with the salt and pepper and dredge in the flour.
- Heat a wok over high heat and add the oil. Working in batches, sear the oxtail pieces until browned. Transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish and fill the casserole dish with enough of the beef broth to cover the oxtail pieces three-quarters of the way. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook until the oxtail is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Allow the oxtail to cool in the braising liquid. Keep the oven temperature at 350 degrees F.
- For the Vietnamese meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the beef, pork, onions, scallions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Form 2- to 3-ounce meatballs from the mixture and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until fully cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes.
- For the noodles: Bring 16 cups water to a boil and add the egg noodles. Cook until tender, then drain and rinse in cold water.
- For plating, arrange the tofu, cabbage, carrots, daikon, watercress, Thai basil and egg noodles around the rim of a large hot pot bowl. Quarter 5 Vietnamese meatballs and add to the rim; add 4 to 6 pieces of oxtail to the rim. Fill the center of the bowl with the hot pot broth and serve family-style over a portable burner.