Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin

Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin

　　Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin is a specialty dish from Zanyi County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province. In fact, Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin is essentially braised sheep meat. The finished dish has a thick, golden gravy, with absolutely no gaminess—just spicy, tender, and pleasantly flavorful.

　　Many towns and villages in Zanyi County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province are located in mountainous or semi-mountainous areas, where goat herding plays a significant role in livestock farming. Moreover, the region is home to various ethnic minorities such as the Yi and Miao peoples, for whom eating sheep meat is very common. In some areas, mutton is even the primary type of meat consumed.

　　How to make Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin: Select a large castrated sheep. After slaughtering, do not remove the skin. Scrape the skin clean, then chop the meat into small pieces with the skin still on. In a wok, heat a mixture of sheep fat and lard. Once hot, add dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, star anise, and other seasonings. Once the aroma develops, add a spoonful of fermented bean paste and stir-fry. Finally, add the chopped meat and continue stir-frying until the oil separates. Then transfer everything to a pressure cooker, add clear broth made from sheep ribs and bones, and simmer under pressure for about fifteen minutes.

　　The resulting braised sheep meat has a thick, golden gravy. It not only retains all the aforementioned nutritional benefits but is also completely free of any gamy smell. It tastes spicy, tender, and is extremely pleasant to eat. You can also customize the dish by adding sheep offal, dried hair moss, or seasonal vegetables according to personal preference. The most delightful twist is cooking some rice noodles or noodles in the rich broth at the end—it becomes authentic mutton-flavored rice noodles or noodles, bursting with flavor. On a cold winter day, gathering with a few friends by the stove, enjoying the meat and drinks, and working up a warm sweat is truly a delightful experience.

　　How to eat Huashan Sheep Meat with Skin: Cook it slowly over low heat and eat it as you go. Add sheep offal, dried hair moss, or seasonal vegetables based on your taste, and finish by cooking rice noodles or noodles in the rich broth.