Sinseollo, royal Korean hot pot with live charcoal

By Korean Food Promotion Institute

Sinseollo is more than a hot pot — it is a ceremonial dish rooted in Korea’s royal court cuisine. Traditionally served in a special vessel fitted with a central chimney holding hot charcoal, the dish continues to simmer at the table, allowing flavors to deepen as it is shared.

Once known as yeolgujatang, sinseollo was enjoyed during palace banquets and special national holidays, prized for its refined presentation and balance of textures. Thinly sliced beef, jeon (savory pancakes), fish, mushrooms and colorful garnishes are meticulously arranged before being bathed in a clear, seasoned beef broth.

While modern kitchens may not use a charcoal-heated vessel, the essence of sinseollo lies in its harmony — of ingredients, color and communal dining. This recipe recreates that royal elegance at home, offering a glimpse into Korea’s culinary heritage.

Ingredients

Mushroom marinade for beef

Preparation

In a large saucepan, add the 8 cups water, beef (top round or brisket), green onion, garlic cloves, whole black pepper and dried red chili pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat for 40 minutes.

While the broth is boiling, add the radish and carrot and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the radish and carrot and set aside.

Strain the broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and season with soy sauce for soup and salt. Slice the cooked beef into thin pieces.

Slice the beef (top round) into thin pieces.

Soak the pyogo mushrooms in water and remove the stems. Pat the mushrooms dry with a paper towel to remove excess water. Cut the mushrooms into thin julienne strips.

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients of the mushroom marinade and mix well. In three medium-sized bowls, add the cooked beef, raw sliced beef and pyogo mushrooms to separate bowls. Divide the marinade into three parts, add to each bowl and mix well.

In a bowl, beat two eggs with a pinch of salt. Take the other two eggs, separate their yolks and whites into two bowls, and beat them well with a pinch of salt.

Halve the red chili pepper and remove the seeds.

Cooking

Sprinkle salt and ground white pepper onto the fish fillets. Heat a pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Dredge the fish fillets with flour, then dip them into the beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until light brown on both sides.

Remove the leaves of the Korean watercress and skewer the stems with bamboo sticks. Dredge the Korean watercress skewers with flour and dip them into the beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until light brown on both sides.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mashed dubu. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon minced green onion, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of ground black pepper, and mix well. Shape into ginkgo nut balls about 1 cm in diameter. Heat a skillet over low heat and add vegetable oil. Dredge the beef balls with flour and then dip into beaten eggs to lightly coat. Pan-fry slowly in a small amount of oil until light brown.

Pan-fry the egg yolks and whites separately on a lightly greased skillet over low heat into very thin sheets.

Soak the walnuts in hot water for 10 minutes and peel the skins with a bamboo stick. Heat a skillet over high heat and add vegetable oil. Stir-fry the ginkgo nuts with salt. Rub them with a paper towel to remove the skins. Remove the pine nut tips.

Cut the cooked radish, carrots, red chili pepper, fish fillets, Korean watercress skewers and yellow and white egg sheets into 4×3×0.2 cm domino-shaped pieces.

Place the cooked beef, marinated beef and mushrooms evenly in the bottom of a sinseollo hot pot. Arrange the domino-shaped ingredients in clusters side by side in harmonious contrasting colors. Add beef balls, walnuts, ginkgo nuts and pine nuts over the arrangement.

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Pour the broth into the sinseollo. Heat the charcoal in the cylinder of the sinseollo hot pot for 5 minutes until it is broiling.

Tip

Sinseollo is the name of the hot pot vessel and the food itself. The word "sinseollo" appeared for the first time in "Dongguksesigi," a 19th-century book on Korea's seasonal customs. Before that, the dish was called yeolgujatang, a name translating roughly to "a soup that pleases the mouth." The vessel can be made of brass, silver or stone.

Serves 4.