Authentic braised lamb

Because of different eating habits in different places, the cooking methods of mutton are also different. Braised lamb in red sauce is a specialty of Henan Province. It mainly uses the braising method to remove the mutton smell. When paired with red dates, wolfberries and other ingredients, the braised lamb in red sauce also has a certain nourishing effect. If you want to make authentic braised lamb, you need to study the ingredients and cooking methods carefully.

Braised lamb in red sauce originated in Xinxiang, Henan Province, and was created by Mr. Li Wuqing. The 65-year-old Li Wuqing went to Korea to fight against the US and aid Korea, and served as a border guard in Tibet. The old man said that when he was in Sichuan, he tried all the delicious hotpot in Sichuan. Later, he went north to the capital and often went to Donglaishun to eat mutton hotpot to satisfy his appetite. As a person who loves to eat and think, he thought of combining the delicious flavors of the two major hotpots from the north and the south, which would be more suitable for the taste of people in the Central Plains. After a long time, he actually figured out a braised lamb hotpot that fully reflects the temperament and character of the Central Plains people.

Speaking of the history of braised lamb, it was as early as 1988. After Mr. Li retired, he used a room facing the road in his neighbor's house to open a restaurant. Unexpectedly, the business became prosperous all of a sudden, and some old diners came to eat almost every day.

The braised lamb in red sauce was well received by diners for its tender meat, fresh taste, rich soup and low price, and soon became popular in Muye. Some smart people also seized this business opportunity and turned from diners into bosses. Braised lamb in brown sauce soon became popular throughout the Central Plains and even made its way to Kyoto, where it became a well-known new Henan dish. During the heyday from 1995 to 2007, a strange sight appeared in Xinxiang, Zhengzhou and other places: "Where there is smoke from stewing food, there are no sheep at the morning market."

Making braised lamb requires careful attention to the heat, auxiliary materials, ingredients, and eating methods. The characteristics of braised lamb are "tender in the mouth, crispy and tender, and you will feel satisfied after one bite".

Ingredients preparation

1 male goat weighing about 5000 grams, 450 grams of chili sauce, 200 grams of red soy sauce, 500 grams of cooking wine, 5 grams of pepper, 10 grams of aniseed, 3 grams of cinnamon, 15 grams of cinnamon, 2 grams of cloves, 5-6 pieces of grass fruit, 3 grams of white cardamom, 3 grams of fennel, 3 grams of amomum, 4 grams of tangerine peel, 5 grams of bay leaves, 50 grams of red dates, 15 grams of wolfberry, 20 grams of cumin, 100 grams of ginger, 250 grams of green onion, appropriate amounts of refined salt, chicken essence and MSG, and 750 grams of cooking oil.

Production steps

1. After slaughtering the male goat, peel off the skin, remove the internal organs, head and hooves, then scrape and clean the remaining hair and blood on the mutton. Then chop the mutton into 2.5 cm square pieces, soak in clean water for 2 to 3 hours, take it out, drain the blood, put it into a boiling water pot, then take it out and drain the water; wash and smash the ginger and green onions; roast cumin over low heat until fragrant and then grind it. All set aside.

2. Place the wok on the fire, add oil and heat it to 60% to 70% hot, first add ginger and scallion to stir-fry, then pour the mutton pieces into the wok and stir-fry, then add some rice wine. After the mutton shrinks and changes color, quickly add the chili sauce and stir-fry over medium heat, then add the red soy sauce and stir-fry the mutton until it is colored. Immediately remove from the wok and pour into a large casserole, add about 2000 grams of water, and add various spices such as aniseed, cinnamon, etc.

3. Move the casserole to the fire, bring it to a boil over medium heat, skim off the foam, then add cooking wine, salt, pepper, and then add carrots, dates, and wolfberries. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 40 to 50 minutes. When the mutton is tender, remove the lid, pick out the ginger, onion, carrots and spice residue, and add chicken essence, MSG and cumin powder.

4. When serving, serve with a dish each of fried gluten, old tofu, Chinese cabbage and coriander. When eating, people usually eat the mutton in the casserole first, and then use the original juice in the casserole to simmer the ingredients and various meat and vegetable ingredients.