All Day Recipe

Prepare Base Broth

In a large hotpot or stockpot, combine 12 cups chicken bone broth and 2 cups dashi/seafood stock. Add 2 tbs julienned ginger, 4 sliced garlic cloves, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tbs rice wine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low to maintain a steady simmer for service (about 20–30 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning.

Set Up Dipping Sauces

Place ssamjang, soy sauce, ponzu, sesame oil, and garlic chili oil in small serving bowls. Whisk or stir each briefly. Melt unsalted butter and keep warm in a small bowl for basting seafood on the grill. Reserve toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro for garnish.

Prepare Meats

Remove all meats from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking so they reach near room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels and lightly brush both sides with vegetable oil. Season both sides of wagyu and prime short rib with a light pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. For the Iberico pork and lamb, lightly brush with a teaspoon of soy sauce mixed with 1 tbs mirin.

Grill Meats (BBQ)

Preheat grill or tabletop grill to high (about 450–500°F / very hot). Sear wagyu slices 10–20 seconds per side until caramelized but still pink inside; remove and rest on a warm plate. Grill prime short rib strips 30–60 seconds per side until edges char; slice into bite-sized pieces. Grill Iberico pork 45–60 seconds per side or until cooked through. Transfer grilled meats to serving platter and keep warm.

Cook Meats in Hotpot

For hotpot service, use thin slices of lamb and chicken: dip each slice into simmering broth for 20–45 seconds (lamb to medium-rare, chicken until opaque and cooked through about 60–90 seconds). Remove with chopsticks or slotted spoon and place on serving plates. Repeat as guests request.

Prepare Seafood

Rinse crab legs, blue crab, shrimp, scallops and squid rings under cold water; pat dry. If snow crab legs are pre-steamed, warm them briefly on the grill or in the hotpot. Shuck oysters just before serving; keep on crushed ice until ready to serve. Toss scallops and shrimp with a pinch of salt, pepper, and 1 tbs melted butter.

Grill & Baste Seafood

Heat grill to medium-high. Brush seafood lightly with garlic chili oil or melted butter. Grill shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until opaque. Grill scallops 1–2 minutes per side for a golden crust. Place snow crab and blue crab on the grill for 2–4 minutes to warm and char lightly; avoid overcooking. For oysters, place on the grill half-shell until they just begin to bubble (about 1–2 minutes) or serve raw with lemon and ponzu.

Hotpot Seafood

Add squid rings and shrimp to simmering broth and cook 30–60 seconds until firm and opaque. Add scallops 30–45 seconds until just cooked. For crab pieces, simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through (if raw). Remove promptly to avoid overcooking.

Finish & Serve Seafood

Brush grilled seafood with remaining melted butter, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro as desired. Serve oysters with lemon wedges and ponzu. Arrange snow and blue crab on a platter for easy sharing.

Prep Vegetables

Wash and trim napa cabbage and baby bok choy. Trim shiitake stems and pull apart enoki clusters. Cube silken tofu. Par-cook udon noodles per package instructions and keep warm.

Cook Vegetables in Hotpot

Add heartier vegetables first: napa cabbage and shiitake mushrooms to simmering broth and cook 2–3 minutes. Add bok choy, enoki mushrooms, tofu and rice cakes and cook another 1–2 minutes until tender. Finish with udon noodles added at the end to warm through (about 1 minute). Allow diners to retrieve items as they finish cooking.

Flavor Enhancements

Throughout service, add sliced garlic and a few slivers of ginger to the grill plate or hotpot as desired for aroma. Sprinkle green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds over finished dishes and grilled meats for freshness and texture. Provide lemon wedges alongside oysters and grilled seafood.

Plating & Service

Arrange grilled meats and seafood on warm platters. Keep hotpot broth at a lively simmer on a portable burner at the table. Place bowls of sauces, rice, lettuce leaves and pickles within reach. Encourage guests to wrap grilled meats in lettuce with ssamjang and rice, and to dip cooked hotpot items into ponzu or sesame oil blends.

Finish the Broth

When most ingredients are finished, reduce heat slightly and allow the broth to concentrate for a rich finish; add remaining udon noodles if desired and simmer 2–3 minutes to absorb flavors. Serve remaining broth as a comforting soup course.