Hand Grilled Lamb

Hand Grilled Lamb

            Right after the mid-autumn, hand grilled meat becomes the major dish on our family table. Growing up in Inner-Mongolia, I had always appreciated the privilege of tasting the best lamb in the world, and no matter how far I have traveled, the tenderness of the meat lingering on my taste buds reminds me of who I am and where I come from. Diving deep into my memory, my grandma and my mom would always be in charge of cooking the meat since I was 6 years old. At that time of the year, the weather had not turned extremely cold but since the central heating did not start yet, our house still feels a bit chilly. Therefore, hand grilled meat became the best option. Adding the entire freshly bought lamb ribs directly to a large steel pot with boiling water, my grandma then took a handful of salt and green onions and put them into the soup. While she looked after the fire, my mother would start preparing the milk tea. The room gradually became steaming with the fresh smell escaping from the pot. Immersing myself in the aroma of lamb, I run straight to the stove and waited for the meat to cook with my grandma. As soon as she opened the lid, I quickly used a spoon to steal some soup and a small piece of lamb and swallowed down my throat right away without considering how hot the lamb was. After hearing my painful mourning due to the burn from my throat, my grandma laughed and said, “slow down, there’s still plenty.”

These memories were unconsciously anchored in mind, and hand grilled lamb became the key to waken those taste buds and unlock the memory palace. As I traveled further away from Inner Mongolia, it served as a bridge between me, my families and my hometown. Every year when I went back during Christmas, all my families would gather around the huge dining table in my grandparents’ house to celebrate my return. My grandma tried to cook everything that I ever loved to eat when I was a kid in order to make up for my lonely journey in a different country. Therefore, hand grilled lamb was placed at the top of her menu. When the tender meat sliced down my throat, I felt instantly at home with caring and supportive families around me.

People who live in the southern part of China tend to complain about eating lamb due to the strong lamb taint smell. However, southerners would usually eat goat meat because it is easier to raise, but people in the north can eat sheep, which are raised on the vast grassland. Hand grilled meat originated from Mongolian nomadic tribes. The nomads of Mongolia sustain their life directly from domestic animals such as cattle, horses and sheep. Due to the extreme continental climate of Mongolia, people must consume foods that are rich in protein and high calories.

The process of preparing the meat is completely different. Firstly, people choose a sheep that is around five-month-old and shave the hair on its chest area. Then they create a tiny incision that is about the width of four fingers and reach their hands into the chest cavity, snapping the artery instantly. By killing the sheep in this way, the blood will accumulate in the abdomen and the meat will partly soaked in the blood. Because the lamb was less startled comparing to those that were killed by other method, their muscles were relaxed, which prevents the blood from clotting in the meat and decreasing the freshness of the meat. The butcher will then get rid of the head and internal organs and cut the ribs for us to share. After that, people add the meat directly into the boiling water with only a little bit of salt and braise it until the meat changes color. In this way, the meat is half cooked in order to best preserve the vitamins and other nutrients. Therefore, it is important for the cook to control the fire well and not to overcook the meat, because not only the nutrients will be lost, the meat also loses its tenderness and fresh tastes. The special thing about hand grilled meat is that Mongolians eat it directly with their hand by dipping in a freshly made leek sauce. Since it is hard to find fresh vegetables due to the unfavorable weather condition, the meat is usually consumed with Mongolian homemade milk tea, which helps people to digest the protein in their stomach smoothly.

This is a picture of hand grilled lamb.

http://shop.bytravel.cn/produce/624B62528089/

 

 

 

 

A picture of my grandparents and my cousin

Ingredients:

A whole rack of lamb      1000g (only from Inner Mongolia)

Salt      25g

Leek sauce     20g

Green onions    10g

Garlic     30g

 

Step 1. Cut the lamb ribs into smaller pieces that fit in the pot and add the pieces to the pot

Step 2. Add enough water that can fully submerge the meat and add the salt, green onions and garlic

Step 3. Start to cook the lamb for half an hour and make sure the color on the outside has turned darker

Step 4. Take out the lamb and it is ready for you