Peking Lamb Recipes

GRILLED LAMB WITH SCALLION PANCAKES

Steps:

• Marinate the meat: Brush the lamb with soy sauce and coat with five-spice powder. Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Make the pancakes: Whirl the flour and salt in a food processor. Boil 1 cup water. With the machine running, slowly pour the water in through the feed tube. Process briefly to form a smooth dough. Remove from the processor to a lightly floured work surface. Knead briefly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
• Divide dough in 8 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a thin 10-inch round. Brush each round with sesame oil and scatter with scallions. Roll up each round into a tight cylinder, then coil each cylinder around like a bun. Slightly flatten each bun, then roll each into a round pancake about 6 inches in diameter. Set aside, covered with a towel.
• Light a grill or broiler for medium heat. Grill or broil the lamb, turning once, until desired degree of doneness, about 12 minutes per side for medium-rare. It's an uneven cut, so you might remove some parts as they are done. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• Shortly before serving, heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small skillet on medium. Fry the pancakes one at a time, turning, until lightly browned a minute or so per side, adding more oil as needed. Stack cooked pancakes and wrap them in foil. If using a grill, place the pancakes to one side, away from direct heat to keep warm.
• Thinly slice the lamb and arrange it on a platter. If serving the dish like tacos, cut the slices in 2-inch pieces. Stack the pancakes to one side of the platter. Pile cucumber slivers in a mound on the platter, and serve with hoisin sauce.

PEKING LAMB WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine lamb with baking soda and 1/4 cup cold water. Mix well and soak 5 hours.
• Rinse lamb slices and dry well on paper towels. In a small bowl mix together egg white, salt, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, peanut oil, and 1 tablespoon of the Shao Hsing. Add lamb and toss to coat with marinade.
• In another small bowl combine brown bean sauce, remaining 3 tablespoons Shao Hsing, sugar, monosodium glutamate, stock, vinegar and sesame oil. In a cup mix cornstarch with a little cold water to consistency of heavy cream and whisk into bean sauce. Set aside.
• In first wok heat 4 cups oil over high heat to 375 degrees. Drain lamb, pat dry and deep-fry 1 minute, turning pieces several times with a metal spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove lamb to paper towels. Return lamb to oil and deep-fry 1 minute more; remove and drain again. Return lamb a third time and deep-fry 30 seconds more; remove and drain on clean paper towels.
• In second wok heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add leek, remaining garlic and chili peppers to taste; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and lamb and mix well. Stir reserved bean sauce mixture and add to wok, tossing to combine. Bring liquids to a boil and remove from heat as soon as sauce begins to thicken. Serve immediately with rice.

PEKING LAMB

Steps:

• Place lamb in a large pot and add spices, green onions, soy sauce and sherry.
• Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
• Cook for a further 2 hours to cook through.
• Meanwhile trim leeks and cut in half lenghtways and soak in cold waterto remove grit.
• Lift lamb out of pot and drain well. Reserve liquid (160mls) (and a bit more in another cup) and add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pot.
• Bring to the boil and add the lamb, cover, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes turning to coat in the sauce.
• Slice leeks at an angle. Add to the pot, cover and cook a further 5-10 minutes. If necessary add some more reserved stock.
• Take off heat and rest lamb for 10 minutes. Then slice. finely.
• Arrange on a serving platter with a little reserved sauce.
• Allow everyone to make their own pancakes/wraps.

CRISPY MONGOLIAN LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the lamb in a casserole dish with a lid. Add remaining ingredients plus enough water to just cover. Cook with the lid on for 3 hrs until the meat is tender and the bones pull out easily. Allow to cool still covered in the cooking liquid with the lid on. You can do this 1-2 days in advance and let the lamb cool completely in the fridge. This will make the next step easier.
• When cold, lift the lamb out of the liquid and transfer to a baking tray. Skim fat from the sauce. Reserve half the sauce for the noodles (in 'Try' section, below) and bubble the rest, still in the pan, until thick and syrupy. Pour into a small serving bowl. Heat grill to medium and grill lamb until crisp and hot through, but not too dark.
• Shred the lamb, discarding most of the fat and all the bones, but keep the nice, crisp skin. You can cut the skin off first and leave it in a hot oven while you shred the rest of the meat. To serve, take everything to the table and eat the lamb rolled up in the lettuce leaves with the cucumber, spring onions and sauce, plus the noodles on the side.