Red Braised Lamb
Red braised lamb is a classic Hunan dish. The lamb is tender, the soup is red and spicy, perfect for warming up in winter.
Ingredients
19 items- Lamb 500g
- Ginger 20g
- Scallion 1
- Garlic 5 cloves
- Dried chilies 10
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp
- Star anise 2 pieces
- Cinnamon stick 1 small piece
- Bay leaves 2 pieces
- Doubanjiang (fermented bean paste) 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Cooking wine 2 tbsp
- Sugar 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- White pepper 1/2 tsp
- Cilantro to taste
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Water as needed
Nutrition
Steps (8 steps)
Soak lamb in cold water for 1 hour, changing water twice. Drain and cut into 3cm cubes.
Place lamb in cold water with a few ginger slices and 1 tbsp cooking wine. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, boil 2 minutes. Remove lamb, rinse with hot water, drain.
Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Add ginger, scallion, garlic, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves. Stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant.
Add doubanjiang, stir-fry over low heat 30 seconds until red oil releases. Do not burn.
Increase heat to high, add lamb, stir-fry 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add light and dark soy sauces, cooking wine, stir-fry 1 minute to coat.
Add enough hot water to submerge lamb by 2 fingers. Add sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer 60-70 minutes until lamb is fork-tender.
Uncover, increase heat to high to reduce sauce 5-8 minutes until it thickens and coats a spoon. Season with salt and white pepper.
Transfer to a bowl, garnish with cilantro. Serve.
Tips
Rinsing the blanched lamb with hot water prevents the meat from tightening. Stir-fry the doubanjiang on low heat to release its red color and aroma. Stir occasionally when reducing to prevent sticking.
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