Best dinner party dish ever
Last Friday I made one of my all time favorite meals - Mongolian Cookpot! If you love peanut butter (seriously, how could you not?) I guarantee you’ll love this. And it is so easy. Just take a little prep ahead of time and you can cook it right on the table.
Ingredients for the pot
- 1.5 lbs chicken
- 1.5 lbs beef tenderloin
- 1 lb 30-40 shrimp
- 2 cups sliced button or shiitake mushrooms
- 6 stalks celery
- 8 oz can water chestnuts
- 8oz can bamboo shoots
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Ingredients for the sauce
- 2 cups peanut butter
- 3 cups canola oil
- 2 TBL sesame seeds
- 2 TBL crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup parsley
Prep
- Just cut the “for the pot” ingredients bit size pieces (obviously the shrimp, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots are already good to go) and set aside for later.
- Combine peanut butter and 2 cups oil until you get a smooth, peanut butter sauce.
- Bring chicken broth to a low boil on the stove, then transfer to the Cookpot.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil and sesame seeds on med heat for 3-5 minutes (just until you see the oil start to move)
- Do the same with 1/4 cup of oil and crushed red peppers.
And now it’s time to eat! So sit down at the table and cook!
Add all your “for the pot” ingredients to the cookpot . Make sure you have some way to keep the pot hot while it’s on the table. We use charcoal in a traditional cookpot but some cookpots are electric and if you have one of those keep it set to medium-high.
While the food is cooking it’s time for your guests to make their personal dipping sauces. Everyone starts with 1/4 cup of the peanut butter mixture in their bowl. Pass around parsley, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame and red pepper mixtures for everyone to add to their bowls. I usually add about a tsp of each but it’s really up to you how much you want to add depending on your personal tastes.
Stir you sauce, check the meat, and if it’s done - DIG IN!
That’s right, everyone eats right out of the pot. Grab your favorite items, dip them in the PB sauce and eat up!
TIP: Don’t have a Cookpot? Not to worry, just cook on the stove and place the pot in the middle of the table after everything is cooked.
TIP: You’ll only be able to fit about half of ingredients in the pot at a time. While the second round cooks, add a big scoop of rice to everyone’s peanut butter bowls for the second course!
Note that this meal feeds about 6 and while you can double the ingredients to feed more, make sure you have a second cookpot for any more than 8. Otherwise, you’ll be reloading and cooking more than eating!
ENJOY!
