Beshbarmak

Beshbarmak is the national dish of both Kyrgrzstan and Kazakhstan. The name translates as "5 fingers" - a reference to the fact that this is a dish that is eaten with your fingers.

Very basically it is broiled meat (usually a horse meat) served with onions and noodles and boullion.

Due to the scarcity of horse meat I used Lamb (somewhat ironic given the recent horse meat in everything scandel that we've had the UK and across Europe).  

To spice it up a little I added garlic and chili to the stock.



Ingredients (serves 2)
  • 2 Lamb Shanks (approx 500g each)
  • 2 Medium Onions - cut into rings.
  • 2 Garlic Cloves - crushed
  • 1 Red Chili - pierced.
For the noodles:
  • 300g Plain Flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 100ml of water (or stock from meat)

Method

1. Add the lamb shanks to a large, deep pan and fill with cold water until they are covered.

2. Bring the water to a boil and then leave the meat to simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours (keep checking it to make sure you don't over cook it). As the meat cooks the water will gather 'scum' on the surface - keep scooping this out and throw it away.

3. While the meat is cooking make the noodles. Sieve the flour into a bowel and add the salt, egg and water. Mix it all together with your hands until the mixture is not too hard, but not sticky either. At that point roll it into a ball and cover it with cling film. Leave to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Remove the cling film from the pastry and seperate it into two balls. On a floured surface roll the first ball into a square. Keep rolling unitl it is about 1mm to 2mm thick. Then cut into lengths about 3cm by 10cm. Put these to one side lightly dusted with flour. Repeat again with the other ball of flour.

5. When the meat starts to come away from the bone remove it from the water and leave it to stand.

6. Pour 600 ml of the meat stock into a seperate pan. I filtered it through two folded kitchen towels lining a sieve to remove the fatty layer - this will leavea nice clear liquid to form the sauce from.

7. Add a quarter of onion to the sieved stock and bring to the boil. Add the chili and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until it has reduced by half. Keeping tasting the sauce and when it is spicy enough remove the chili (I usually remove the top and bottom from the chili leaving it otherwise whole - this allows the heat to get out).
 
8. Heat a frying pan with two table spoons of the stock. When hot add the remaining onions and cook them until they are soft and slightly blackend - you want to get them just right so that the sweetness shines through when eating.

9. Boil up the remaining stock and add half the noodles to it, cooking them for about 3 to 5 minutes (depends how thin you managed to get them). Add to plate and then cook the remaining noodles.
 
9. To serve, arrange the noodles around the edge of a large plate/dish, leaving a hole in the middle. Pull the meat off the bone and place into the centre of the dish, cover with the onions, pour over some of the sauce. Optionally sprinkle some chopped parsley and coriander, place in the centre of the table and tell everyone to dig in with their fingers.
 
10. Keep the remainder of the sauce in serving jug and occasionally pour over to keep the meat moist and warm.
 
 
Enjoy!

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