1.Mutton is the soul.

Mutton is the main ingredient of the hotpot. If you hope to eat well, you need to tell the quality of mutton. All the mutton served is pink and looks delicious. To tell the good from the bad, you need to soak a piece of mutton into the boiling water. If the mutton immediately turns gray, it is good. If not, you will have to ask for another dish of mutton. In addition, mutton rolls that are cut too thin or thick are not suitable for eating.

2.It is best to soak the mutton into the clear boiling water.

Lots of hotpot restaurants have put all kinds of ingredients such as fungus soup, tomatoes and chili into the boiling water before you add ordered vegetables and mutton. But Beijing’s Copper Hotpot Shuanrou only has water in a pot. In the water only ginger, green onion and mushrooms should be added.

3.How to use the coal inside the pot?

This copper pot doesn’t need alcohol or electricity. Instead, what it only uses is coal. Burning coal is fine, but you need to remember that don’t try to add coal into the pot when you are eating. It is not healthy this way. What is suggested is you must select fine coal for your pot. During your dining time, you will never need to add coal.

4.Optional Seasoning

Many kinds of Seasoning are available, and you need to learn to make your soup nice to boil the mutton. Commonly used seasoning include sesame sauce, tofu, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, chives, chopped green onion, coriander etc. No matter what you add, you have to make sure the added taste doesn’t muffle the taste of the mutton.

5.Eat like a gourmet

After everything is done, what is left now is eat. But wait! Eating the mutton is worth researching. Lots of eaters always pour all the mutton rolls of a dish into the boiling water at one time to save time. This is not the nice way. What is correct is take one roll of mutton from the dish and then soak it into the boiling water for a while to make sure it becomes gray. Taking it out and dip it into the seasoning you have made. In addition, you should also know that you need to first soak the mutton and then put the vegetables you have ordered into the pot. If the order is changed, the mutton soup will be damaged by the vegetables.

Recommended Shuanrou Restaurants

1.Qing Dynasty Eight Banners Copper Hotpot Shuanrou (大清八旗铜锅涮肉)

This name looks arrogant, since the Eight Banners were the power controllers during the Qing Dynasty. Eaters coming to the restaurant speak highly of it. For example, they think the mutton here is thick and looks really fresh. After dinner, the restaurant will freely offer you vegetables and other snacks. The snacks matching the hotpot here include Lv Da Gun (驴打滚) and Ai Wo Wo (艾窝窝). Location: No. 82, Hongkang Road, Daxing District (大兴区西红门宏康路82号)

2.South Gate Shuanrou (南门涮肉)

South Gate Shuanrou is the most famous Shuanrou Restaurant in Beijing. Both native Beijingers and people from outside all love it. You had better make an appointment before you go there. The restaurant has a number of branches in Beijing, including those around the Temple of Heaven, Dongdan, Houhai and Chaoyang Road. Among them the most popular one is the branch at Houhai (Location: Shichahai Tea Art Bar Street, No. 1, South Guanfang Hutong, Xicheng District西城区南官房胡同1号什刹海茶艺酒吧街).

3.Qimen Shuanrou (奇门涮肉)

Qimen Shuanrou is located on the bustling Guijie (Ghost Street). This restaurant is one special feature on the street and is full of Old Beijing flavor. It is said that the seasoning of it is a secret and very good. The mutton pieces are all cut by hands. It really tastes good. Location: No. 240, Dongzhimennei Street, Dongcheng District (东城区东直门内大街240号)