Roast Whole Lamb of Xi U Banner

Roast Whole Lamb of Xi U Banner

　　"Roast Whole Lamb" is a traditional and uniquely flavorful banquet dish from Inner Mongolia. Due to its special and meticulous preparation method, it was once reserved exclusively for Mongolian nobility, far beyond the reach of ordinary herders. Today, however, this classic delicacy is available for everyone to enjoy.

The reason Roast Whole Lamb has become so famous lies not only in the high quality of the lamb used but also in its unique and elaborate roasting process. The lamb chosen must be a fat and sturdy three-year-old sheep with four teeth. When slaughtered, the "heart-gripping" method must be used: making an incision in the sheep’s chest, reaching inside to grasp and squeeze the heart until death. This method results in minimal blood loss, yielding exceptionally tender meat. After slaughter, the skin is not removed. Instead, the front legs are hung up, the belly is opened, and the internal organs and offal are removed. The chest and abdominal cavities are thoroughly cleaned before the wool is scalded off with boiling water, and the whole skin is washed with alkaline water. Various seasonings are then placed inside the chest cavity. With its legs pointing upward and its back downward, the lamb is hung upside down by an iron chain and placed in a specialized roasting oven. The oven is custom-made, built from bricks in a dome shape. First, a type of firewood called "suosuo" is burned to heat the interior until it glows red. The fuel is then removed, and the whole lamb is lowered into the oven through the top opening, which is subsequently closed along with the oven door. The intense internal heat slowly bakes the lamb to medium doneness. Then, the oven door is reopened, and the chef uses a long-handled ladle to scoop burning suosuo wood embers and direct them onto the lamb’s surface until the entire body turns a golden brown. This slow-roasting technique allows the flavors of the seasonings inside the cavity to gradually infuse the meat, while ensuring that the lamb is thoroughly cooked.