博览非遗 传学古今 | 羊肉烹制技艺

Mutton Cooking Techniques

In Alxa League in the west of Inner Mongolia, due to its unique geographical location and climatic environment, the mutton here has a natural advantage that cannot be compared with other places. Roasted whole sheep, the Mongolian language, called "hao ni xi sen", in the Mongolian custom of roasted whole sheep is used to receive the guests of a famous dish. The most famous roasted whole sheep on the grassland is the roasted whole sheep in the Alxa Zasak Royal Mansion.

Roasted whole sheep as the feast's main scene is very grand, accompanied by the melodious sound of the horse-head violin, bold Inner Mongolian songs, before the start of the meal, the hospitable Mongolians sing while offering guests a hada, a toast to the wine. Coupled with the crispy lamb skin, lamb tender and fragrant, layers of flavor, lingering between the teeth, a long aftertaste, the dining atmosphere will reach its peak. This is also the iconic Mongolian cultural feast in Alxa, and in June 2008, roasted whole sheep in Alxa was included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, and it is the most well-known intangible food art.

Alxa roasted whole sheep shall use a special oven and Alxa unique pike firewood as fuel, and choose a big tail fat, delicious meat, no gamy odor of Alxa unique local a kind of sheep. In the production, Alxa roast whole sheep to be slaughtered, scalding, ingredients, baking and other 18 procedures. First with a knife in the chest to cut a small mouth to reach out and cut off the aorta method of sheep slaughter, and then with 80 degrees of boiling water scalded sheep body, while hot, remove the hair, remove the internal organs, inside and outside of the body of the sheep washed for use. Then, in the sheep belly and hind legs, wucha and other meat thick place with a knife to cut a number of small openings, put in a variety of seasonings marinade, and in the outside of the body of the sheep coated with a layer of wine, and then the tail is secured inward to the sheep's femur. 

And then the chest upwards, from the limbs and the center with a hooked chain, hanging into the oven, so that the sheep in the upper chamber of the oven hanging. Then the upper mouth of the oven is covered tightly with an iron plate and sealed with mud, and an iron basin is prepared under the sheep to receive the suet that is baked down. After this arrangement, the fire of the roasting oven is observed from a small window halfway up or under the oven biscuit. Operator with a large shovel, iron hook to adjust the charcoal, master the degree of baking, until the baking is complete. After the sheep is taken out of the oven and placed on its knees in a square wooden plate, the color of the sheep is golden red and the aroma floats all over the room, which is mouth-watering.

Roasted sheep eating method is also unique: the sheep placed in a large plate, the first end to the guests to see: and then from the surface to the inside, according to the order of skin, meat, bone by tasting, and then supplemented by the lotus leaf cake, thin pancakes, green onions, Willow leaved noodles sauce, wrapped in rolls and eat, and then finally consumed roasted sheep seasoned soup cooked Willow leaved noodles. It is a fusion of the essence of roasted duck eating style and an innovation of roasted lamb eating style.

Roasted whole sheep as the feast's main scene is very grand, accompanied by the melodious sound of the horse-head violin, bold Inner Mongolian songs, before the start of the meal, the hospitable Mongolians sing while offering guests a hada, a toast to the wine. Coupled with the crispy lamb skin, lamb tender and fragrant, layers of flavor, lingering between the teeth, a long aftertaste, the dining atmosphere will reach its peak. This is also the iconic Mongolian cultural feast in Alxa, and in June 2008, roasted whole sheep in Alxa was included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, and it is the most well-known intangible food art.