Ingredient Notes, Cook’s Tips, and FAQs
- Sa Cha/Sha Cha Sauce (沙茶酱 – shā chá jiàng): This Chinese BBQ sauce comes in small glass jars or tins and with plenty of oil on top of the actual sauce. You can try finding it at your local Asian grocery store or purchase it online. I use Lee Kum Kee’s Sa Cha Sauce, but Bull Head brand Sha Cha sauce is great, and more traditionally used in Taiwan. If using the latter, add two tablespoons to the measuring cup along with the rest of the sauce ingredients first. Taste and decide if a third tablespoon is needed.
- Chilies: Feel free to adjust the number of chilies you use based on your heat level preference. Thai prik kee nu chilies are very HOT!! Omit them altogether if you are not big on heat. The large red chilies are mild and similar to bell pepper in flavor, so feel free to use only them (or red bell pepper) if you prefer a milder dish.
- Water Spinach (空心菜 – kōngxīncài): This vegetable is also known as morning glory, kang kong, swamp spinach, and ong choy. Look for it at your Asian grocery store if you’re based outside of Asia, and in wet markets and supermarkets if you’re based in Asia. If you cannot locate it, substitute with choy sum, sweet potato leaves (地瓜葉), or another Asian green with a mild sweet flavor or another Asian green. The flavor of the dish will be slightly different if using another green, but it will still be tasty!
- Don’t use an excessively fatty meat. Try to purchase leaner lamb shabu shabu meat. If your lamb renders too much fat after cooking, scoop out some of it before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Can I use a different protein? Thinly sliced skinless pork belly and thinly sliced beef shabu shabu meat work well. Look for packages of sukiyaki or shabu shabu (hot pot style) thinly sliced meat at your local Asian supermarket.
- What if I can’t find shabu shabu (hot pot) or sukiyaki style meat? Use a cut of lamb meat such as the shoulder, and slice it as thin as you can. Freeze the meat for 20-30 minutes before slicing so that it will be easier to slice thinly.
- Can I make this gluten-free? I recommend using a gluten-free soy sauce, half balsamic vinegar and half rice vinegar instead of Chinkiang vinegar, and dry sherry instead of Shao Xing Rice Wine. Sa cha sauce is gluten-free. You will likely get a similar flavor in the dish with the GF ingredient substitutes.
- Recipe inspired by the dish from Beer House in Taipei and Polyphagic Abby.