Shenqiu Mawu Beef and Mutton

Shenqiu Mawu Beef and Mutton

　　Shenqiu Mawu Beef and Mutton is a halal-flavored food specialty from eastern Henan. Legend has it that during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, Ma Yizhen, a Hui chef at the “Shuanghesheng Lamb Restaurant” in Huai’fangting (now the county seat of Shenqiu), created this dish, which became the restaurant’s signature and gained fame locally.

　　As for the origin of the beef and mutton, a widely circulated local tale tells that one sweltering summer day, Chef Ma Yizhen of Shuanghesheng Lamb Restaurant had unsold raw lamb. He casually threw the raw meat into a large salt vat. Half a month later, he suddenly remembered it and assumed the meat had gone bad. But when he took it out, there was no foul smell, and the meat remained a bright red color. After rinsing it repeatedly in water and cooking it with various spices, he unexpectedly discovered it had a uniquely delicious flavor. Later, Ma Yizhen refined his spice blends and carefully developed a similar method for beef. Eventually, he created distinctively flavored beef and lamb dishes that have been passed down through generations.

　　The main ingredients of Shenqiu Mawu Beef and Mutton are locally produced hornless yellow cattle and hornless Huai Mountain goats. For beef, cuts from the thigh and leg (rump and leg) of 2–3-year-old steer cattle are selected. For lamb, 2–3-year-old fat castrated sheep weighing over 30 jin are chosen, with leg tendons, spine, and ribs removed. During preparation, the beef or lamb is first placed separately into specially made large earthen jars and cured with salt, coriander, and Sichuan peppercorns for 10–15 days. The jars are turned several times a day. Depending on the temperature, after 10 or 15 days, the jars are sealed for another 3 to 5 days. By then, the meat turns a bright red. It is then taken out, rinsed, and soaked in water for 12 hours to remove blood and salt impurities. The meat is then placed in large pots or vats with cold water—up to 20 sheep or two cattle can be processed at once.

　　The beef and mutton are primarily seasoned with traditional Hui spices. Typically, one jin (500g) of seasoning is used for every 20 jin of meat. The spices include star anise, fennel, cumin, black cardamom, hemp seed, ginseng root, costus root, nutgrass flatsedge, cardamom, chamomile fruit, sweet wormwood, cloves, bay leaves, tangerine peel, galangal, sandalwood, cardamom pod, nutmeg, and more than 30 other varieties. When cooking the meat, each batch of beef weighs over 50 jin, while lamb is cooked whole in a rolled tube shape. The meat is pressed down with bamboo mats and simmered in a long-simmered broth. First, it is slowly simmered for two hours to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. Then it is boiled in hot water for one hour before being gently braised until fully cooked. In the past, fruitwood was used for fuel during the cooking process, and the slow simmering method led locals to refer to it as “steamed beef and mutton” or “smoked beef and mutton.” The resulting beef and mutton are not greasy or gamey, with a tender texture, rich umami, and aromatic flavor. They can be served sliced on a plate or enjoyed as a snack, making them highly favored by customers. They are also an excellent choice for home banquets, entertaining guests, or giving as gifts.

　　Beef and mutton from Shenqiu have a history of 150 years. Initially, they were commonly served as cold dishes at banquets in restaurants. During the Republican era, Shenqiu saw the emergence of many single-wheeled red carts specializing in selling beef and mutton. Skilled butchers used large, square-foot cleavers to slice the cooked meat, and those with exceptional skills could cut it paper-thin and translucent—the thinner the slices, the higher the quality of the cooked meat. A local way of enjoying it is to sandwich the beef or mutton between freshly baked hot sesame cakes, creating a unique flavor. The late Mu Qing, former president of Xinhua News Agency, had a particular fondness for Shenqiu’s lamb-filled sesame cakes and would often bring some back to Beijing whenever he visited his hometown. Ma Wu, a direct descendant of Ma Yizhen, is the fourth-generation inheritor of the authentic beef and mutton recipe. With the evolution of the times, Ma Wu innovated the production techniques, established a brand, and now sells his vacuum-packed beef and mutton as far as Beijing and Shanghai. Ma Wu’s beef and mutton once won first prize in a provincial competition for distinctive snacks.