Chapter 351: Chapter 207: Two Ultimate Ways to Cook Lamb - Roast Whole Lamb VS Dipped Lamb! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_4
The copy just kept getting weirder and weirder. Lin Xu was at a loss for words. Students nowadays really have too little homework!
When the lamb’s surface became oily and slightly yellow, he carried over some salad oil he had prepared beforehand and evenly coated the surface of the lamb with it. After applying the oil, he raised the spit up a notch, using medium-low heat to slowly roast the lamb until cooked. This low-temperature roasting allowed the lamb to retain the maximum amount of moisture, making it even more tender and juicy. After the oil application, the cousins embarked on their second round of copywriting.
Lin Xu didn’t interrupt them. Instead, he stepped aside and called his senior, Xie Baomin, to ask about the method for cooking lamb for dipping.
"That’s very simple," Xie Baomin explained. "First, separate the lamb along its grain and remove the muscle fascia. Then, put it in a pot of cold water with celery, onion, and carrots; these three are more effective than any seasoning at removing the gamey taste. Once the water boils, skim off the foam. Add a large bowl of cold water, bring it to a boil again, and skim the foam once more. Repeat this process five times until the water is completely clear. Finally, add Angelica dahurica, White Cardamom, and White Pepper. Simmer on low heat for twenty to thirty minutes, and that’s it."
Indeed, it’s quite simple!
Just as Xie Baomin finished explaining, he suddenly asked, "You know how to make the dipping sauce, don’t tell me you don’t know this too?"
Lin Xu said with a smile, "I do, I just wasn’t sure how long to cook it for, worried I might overcook it."
"Turn off the heat after twenty minutes and take the meat out after thirty minutes. Let it cool, then slice it. Before eating, bring the broth in which the lamb was cooked to a boil and blanch the sliced lamb in it. That’s the tastiest way to eat it."
Now, Lin Xu finally knew how to make the lamb for dipping.
After hanging up the phone, he went to the kitchen, took out the lamb leg that had been soaking in water, and started to prepare it. He trimmed the meat off the leg following the grain, and then, following his senior’s instructions, he removed the fascia covering the lamb. This would improve the texture and prevent anyone from having to chew through tough membranes.
"Xu, do you still need the lamb bones?" his uncle asked. "If not, I’ll use them to make soup. It would be delicious in mutton stew with flatbread pieces or in stewed noodles."
"No need, Uncle, go ahead and make the soup," Lin Xu replied.
Lin Xu then threw the cleaned pieces of lamb into the pot. He added slices of carrots, sections of celery, and onions he had cut earlier, and began to boil the meat.
While the lamb was cooking, he started preparing the Superior dipping sauce that he had made once before in a competition. Preparing the dipping sauce ahead of time and letting it marinate for a while would enhance the flavor.
As he was busy, the water in the pot started to boil. He skimmed the foam off with a spoon, and after it was fairly clean, he added a small basin of cold water. This step is known in the trade as "smashing." The cold water "smashes" the blood froth and impurities out of the meat, resulting in a better texture and a stronger flavor.
A small basin of cold water caused the boiling in the pot to cease immediately. But as the water temperature rose, small bits of foam started to float to the surface again. After skimming it clean once more, he continued to "smash" it with cold water. Sure enough, by the fifth time, no more foam appeared, and even the broth for cooking the meat was no longer cloudy but had become clear.
He then placed Angelica dahurica, White Cardamom, and a small handful of whole White Peppercorns into the pot, turned down the heat, and let it simmer. Lin Xu wasn’t sure about the exact proportions of these three ingredients, but since all were used to remove gamey flavors, not much of each was needed. While the meat was cooking, he continued making the dipping sauce.
Once done, he covered the dipping sauce with plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator to chill. This would allow the flavors to meld more thoroughly, making it even more delicious when eaten with the lamb. After finishing the dipping sauce, Lin Xu went outside to check on things.
Although his cousins acted as mere props for his showing off, they were diligently taking turns rotating the spit—the lamb had become even more golden brown, and quite a bit of fat had dripped into the pan below. Shen Baobao, who had no chance to get involved, leisurely strolled up to Lin Xu and curiously asked, "What’s next? Is there anything I can help with?"
The cousins had snatched the roasting spit from her right after she took over, using their status as guests as an excuse to monopolize it, ending Shen Baobao’s culinary journey almost as soon as it had begun.
Lin Xu said with a smile, "Next, we’ll be making the dipping sauce for the roasted whole lamb and slaughtering the goose. Do you want to join?"
Shen Jiayue: "..."
I really am more suited for big dishes like roasted whole lamb!
Seeing that the girl really wanted to participate in the cooking, Lin Xu said, "How about this? You make the dipping sauce for the roasted whole lamb with me. It’s also good physical exercise, so you can eat more at lunch."
Physical exercise?
Shen Jiayue was somewhat surprised. She didn’t understand how making a dipping sauce was related to exercising.They went to the kitchen. Lin Xu brought out Shi Wenming’s extra-large garlic mortar, which was used for making garlic sauce. After carefully cleaning it, he dried the inside with paper towels. Then he cleaned the garlic pestle, which resembled a large rolling pin, and dried it as well.
With the preparations complete, they officially started making the dipping sauce.
Lin Xu placed a wok on the stove. He first added roasted peanuts, which had their red skins removed, and dry-roasted them to bring out their fragrance. Afterward, he poured them into the garlic mortar. "Crush these peanuts with the pestle."
"Okay!" Shen Baobao actually had no idea why peanuts were put in the dipping sauce, but since Xu had instructed her, she began the task. She grabbed the pestle with both hands and smashed it down onto the peanuts in the mortar.
Meanwhile, Lin Xu placed the wok back on the stove to continue dry-roasting ingredients. This time, he added—White Sesame seeds!
"Xu, what are you making?"
"It’s the dipping sauce for the roasted whole lamb."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wenming hurriedly came over. "What’s the recipe? Can you tell me?"
"Of course!" Lin Xu said. "Curry powder, roasted Peanut Shreds, roasted soybean powder, cumin powder, and garlic powder make up six parts. Shredded White Sesame and ginger powder make up three parts. Chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and salt make up two parts. That’s the recipe for the roasted whole lamb dipping sauce."
"Six to three to two, right? I need to write this down. It might become the restaurant’s signature dish one day." This type of dry dipping sauce was the most difficult to make; a slight discrepancy in proportions could cause huge differences in taste. Now, with a ready-made recipe to copy, Shi Wenming naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
After carefully recording it on his phone, to express his gratitude to his nephew, he took the pestle from Shen Baobao’s hands and said, "Young lady, you rest. I’ll take care of this rough work. We can’t have an esteemed guest like you doing this. Xu, you carry on; whether it’s grinding or crushing, I’ve got it covered."
Shen Jiayue: "..."
I just wanted to do some work, why is it so hard!
Before long, the dipping sauce for the roasted whole lamb was ready. The lamb meat in the pot was also cooked.
Lin Xu turned off the heat and let the lamb meat soak in the soup for a while. Then, he picked up a cleaver and walked out to the yard, striding toward the fat goose. He began preparing today’s third big dish—Dry-fried Goose Pieces!
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Author’s Note: If you’re interested, you can try making the dipping sauce for roasted whole lamb. This ratio is correct and suitable for dipping roasted meats. The curry is added to enrich the flavor. This Chapter is 6,900 characters. Asking for Monthly Tickets, brothers!!