Fangcheng Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles

Fangcheng Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles

　　Fangcheng Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles are a specialty of Fangcheng County, Nanyang City, Henan Province. Lamb hand-pulled noodles are a famous and beloved snack in Henan. The origin of these noodles is Fangcheng in Nanyang, Henan, and Fangcheng-style noodles have gained widespread fame.

　　Hand-pulled noodles are a traditional Han Chinese snack from Henan with a long history. It's a classic street food that combines meat, vegetables, broth, and rice—all in one dish—renowned for its delicious taste and affordability. It is popular across the Central Plains and throughout China. Depending on the ingredients, it can be categorized into: lamb hand-pulled noodles, beef hand-pulled noodles, three-delight hand-pulled noodles, five-delight hand-pulled noodles, and more. The origin of these noodles is Fangcheng in Nanyang, Henan, and Fangcheng-style noodles have gained widespread fame.

　　Lamb hand-pulled noodles are a famous and beloved snack in Henan. The broth is rich and thick; the noodles are fragrant, chewy, and elastic; the lamb is tender and soft. Making lamb hand-pulled noodles involves three key elements: the dough, the ingredients, and the broth. When making the dough, add some salt, knead it into a ball, let it rest for 20 minutes, then knead for another 10 minutes and rest again for 20 minutes—repeat this 3–4 times to ensure the noodles are elastic. The toppings are rich and include lamb, vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, shredded tofu skin, kelp, and quail eggs. The most crucial part is the broth, which is made by simmering high-quality lamb and lamb bones along with various spices over low heat for a long time until the broth turns milky white and the meat is tender.

　　Fangcheng hand-pulled noodles are a type of clear broth noodle dish. Main ingredients: noodles, lamb broth, lamb. Toppings: coriander (cilantro), sesame oil.

　　Preparation Method (for 3–5 large bowls serving a family of three):

　　1. Add appropriate amount of wheat flour, water, salt, and 1–2 eggs to make the dough. Knead until it no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl, then let it rest for 30 minutes.

　　2. Place half a lamb spine bone in water, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the blood foam, then simmer over low heat for about 1–2 hours.

　　3. Stretch and knead the dough into a log as thick as a rolling pin, tear off pieces the size of a duck egg, rub with sesame oil, roll out into oval sheets about 15–20 cm long, 5 cm wide, thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges. Lightly brush both sides with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

　　4. Cut around 300g of fresh lamb leg meat into slices about the size of a one-yuan coin.

　　5. Heat a wok over high heat, add 15–25 ml of peanut or blended oil once hot, add sliced ginger and stir-fry the meat slices until about 80–90% cooked, then add water and bring to a boil.

　　6. Take a noodle sheet, lay it flat in your palm, hold both ends gently with your thumbs, and stretch it to about one foot in length. Then lightly swing and pull it to a length of 1–1.5 meters (adjust based on preferred noodle thickness). Tear the sheet evenly into two strands and quickly place them in the boiling pot. After tearing and placing the noodles in the pot, use chopsticks to separate them to prevent sticking. Boil over high heat until the noodles float to the surface.

　　7. First, scoop the noodles into a large bowl, then sprinkle with chopped coriander, pour in the hot broth, and drizzle with 1–2 drops of sesame oil. 8. A steaming bowl of Fangcheng hand-pulled noodles is ready to serve!

　　Compared to Zhengzhou-style hand-pulled noodles, Fangcheng noodles are fragrant without being greasy and carry the rich aroma of lamb.