XINJIANG CUMIN LAMB RIBS

Xinjiang is a province in the far northwest of China，covering an area of over 1.6 million square kilometres，and sharing its borders with Russia，Mongolia，Kazakhstan，Kyrgyzstan，Tajikistan，Afghanistan，Pakistan and India.Its cuisine reflects the diverse mix of ethnic groups represented in its population，including a high proportion of Muslims，meaning that pork is not the staple protein at meal times as it is in many other parts of China.Instead，lamb and goat are frequently used，and this lamb dish has become so popular that it has spread across the whole of China.The traditional recipe features diced lamb，which is marinated and then alternately skewered between cubes of lamb fat and chargrilled on a barbecue.However，I am a firm believer that meat always tastes better when cooked on thebone，which is why in the restaurant we have opted for lamb breast on the bone.This fatty cut requires slow braising to tenderize it，making it perfect for our slow-cooking method，with the high fat content keeping the meat moist and flavoursome.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg lamb breast on the bone，separated into individual ribs

50ml white rice vinegar

100g Xinjiang Spice Mix，plus extra to serve

2 litres lamb fat（but vegetable oil will have to do if you don’t have a freezer full of solidified lamb fat）

2 tablespoons chilli flakes

1teaspoon ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns

1.Place the ribs in a non-reactive ovenproof dish and add the vinegar and spice mix，rubbing it vigorously into the meat.Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

2.Preheat the oven to 160C，Gas Mark 3.

3.Cover the ribs with the fat（or oil）and cook in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat becomes tender and begins to fall away from the bone.

4.Remove from the oven and leave the ribs to cool in the fat.

5.When you are ready to serve，remove the ribs from the fat and，using a blowtorch，charthe outside of the ribs，rendering down the fat and basically simulating a barbecue.

6.Sprinkle with more spice mix，the chilli flakes and the ground Sichuan pepper before serving.

hancheng

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