This recipe is taken from Fuchsia Dunlop's "Land of Plenty".  (I consider the book an invaluable guide to Sichuan style cooking)

Dunlop has decreased the amount of chilis.  A real hotpot would use a lot more chilis and spicier chilis.

I figure that its best to offer the dish to the blog "as written" rather than imposing my attempts to restore the integrity of the original recipe.

I'm using this dish as the core offering for an upcoming dinner party. 

You make the broth and provide some basic ingredients.  (My idea of basic ingredients is beef heart, lamb tounge, and sliced mutton)

Folks bring other stuff by that they feel like dipping in...

Served 4-6

1/4 cup fermented black beans

1/3rd cup Shioxing rice wine OR medium dry sherry

3 inches of fresh ginger unpeeled

1/4 cup dried Sichuanese chilis

1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil

2/3rd cup beef drippings or lard (I use duck fat when possible)

1/2 Sichuanese chili bean paste

Anout three quarts of good beef stock or everyday stock

1 tablespoon rock sugar

Option:  1/3rd cup Sichuanese fermented glutinous rice wine (I use my sake dregs)

salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon whole sichuanese pepper

Directions

1.  Mash the black beans with one tablespoon of the Shaoxing wine.  (Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor).  Either way, you want to end up with a smooth paste.  Wash the ginger and cut it into slices about the thickness of a coin.

2.  Snip all the chilis into halves or into 1 inch long sections with a pair of scissors.  Discard as many seeds as possible.  Heat three tablespoons of the peanut or vegetable pil in a wok over a medium flame until it is hot but not smoking.  Add all the chilis and stir fry them briefly until they are crisp and fragrent taken great care not to burn them.  (The oil should sizzle gently arond the chiles).  Remove the hilis with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Pour the cooking oil into a separate contained and set aside.  Given the wok a quick rinse and dry it thoroughly.

3.  Place the beef drippings and the rest of the peanut / vegetable oil into a work and heat over a gentle flame until the drippings have melted completely.  Then turn the heat up to medium.  Whn the oils are just starting to smoke (250-300 degrees) turn the heat up to medium.  Add all the chili paste and stir fry for a minute or two until the oil is richly red and fragrent.  The paste should sizzle gently - take care not to burn it.  When the oil has reddened, add the mashed black beans + the ginger and continue to stir fry until they are fragrant.  Then pour in 1.5 quarts of the stock and bring it to a boil.  (The rest of the stock will be used for topping off the hot pot as you eat)

4.  When the liquid has come to a boil, add the rock sugar, the rest of the Shaoxing rice wine, and the glutinous rice wine.  Add salt to taste.

5.  Finally add the prepared chilis and the Sichuan pepper to taste.  Leave the broth to simmer for 15-20 minutes until its wonderfully spicy.

(Note, this can be prepared 24-48 hours in advance and then reheated)