Zanyi Huashan Skin-On Lamb

Zanyi Huashan Skin-On Lamb

　　   In many towns across Zanyi County, located in mountainous or semi-mountainous terrain, goat herding makes up a large portion of the local livestock industry. In addition, the area has a mixed population including ethnic minorities such as the Yi and Miao, for whom eating lamb is very common — in some places, lamb is even the main source of meat. While the basic methods of cooking lamb are quite similar across these regions, Huashan Town benefits from a relatively more developed socio-economic environment, which has helped make its lamb famously well-known among people in Qujing.

　　   Huashan skin-on lamb is essentially a braised lamb dish. The preferred cut for this dish is from a large castrated ram, and the skin on the head must not be removed after slaughter. The cleanly scraped skin, along with the layer of lean meat about one centimeter thick beneath it, is cut into small pieces. This type of meat, when braised, has a particularly delicious texture. The remaining offal and lamb ribs are better suited for making clear broth. In a wok, a mixture of lamb fat and lard is heated, then spices such as dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and star anise are added and allowed to flavor the oil. Next, a spoonful of aged soybean paste is added and stir-fried until fragrant. Finally, the prepared lamb pieces are added and stir-fried together until the fat renders out. The mixture is then transferred to a pressure cooker, along with the prepared clear broth, and braised under pressure for about fifteen minutes before being served and eaten over low heat.

　　   Lamb is warm and rich in nature, containing abundant nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other minerals. Therefore, it is highly beneficial for patients suffering from tuberculosis, coughing, asthma, bronchitis, anemia, kidney deficiency, as well as for the elderly and those with weak constitutions to consume more lamb during winter. Furthermore, lamb liver is considered an excellent remedy for nourishing the liver and improving eyesight; lamb marrow can promote blood circulation, enrich vital energy, and nourish skin and hair; lamb blood helps stop bleeding and expel phlegm; lamb heart can nourish the heart and benefit the eyes; lamb stomach can tonify lung qi; and lamb kidney can strengthen kidney qi and treat hearing loss, among other benefits.

　　   The finished braised lamb has a rich, thick sauce with a golden color. Not only does it retain all the aforementioned nutritional values, but it is also completely free of any gamey or off-putting smell. It tastes spicy, tender, and chewy, making it extremely pleasant and delicious. Depending on personal preference, you can also add lamb offal, dried hair moss, or seasonal fresh vegetables to cook together. Most remarkably, when you finish off the thick broth by cooking it down to a thin consistency and add noodles or rice vermicelli, you get an authentic lamb noodle soup or lamb rice noodle dish — flavorful and delicious. On a cold winter’s day, gathering around a stove with a few good friends, enjoying the meat and wine, and working up a warm sweat, is truly one of life’s great pleasures.