The Shan County lamb soup is now famous all over the world, its freshness without the typical strong smell of mutton, its milky white color, and its rich but not greasy taste have been recorded in the Chinese Food Canon. Unfortunately, due to our vast country, even with convenient transportation nowadays, it is rare to find authentic Shan County lamb soup far from Shandong Province. However, we can learn how to make Shan County lamb soup and prepare it ourselves.
Method One for Making Shan County Lamb Soup
Ingredients Preparation
500 grams of lamb, an appropriate amount of sheep bones, 5 grams of cinnamon bark, 5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 5 grams of dried orange peel, 50 grams of coriander, 5 grams of star anise, 10 grams of Chinese ginger, 5 grams of Angelica root, 10 grams of green onion, 15 grams of fine salt, 25 grams of red oil, 15 grams of Sichuan pepper water, 5 grams of clove powder, 5 grams of cinnamon powder, 5 grams of soy sauce, 25 grams of sesame oil.
Cooking Steps
1. Wash the meat and cut into pieces about 10 centimeters long, 3 centimeters wide, and 3 centimeters thick. Break the sheep bones and lay them at the bottom of the pot, then place the lamb on top, adding enough water to cover the meat. Boil over high heat and skim off any foam that rises; discard the broth.
2. Add fresh water, bring to a boil over high heat, and skim off any additional foam. Add more water, bring back to a boil, and skim off the foam once more. Then add some sheep fat and cook for a moment before skimming off any remaining foam.
3. Place the Sichuan pepper, cinnamon bark, dried orange peel, star anise, Chinese ginger, and Angelica root in a cheesecloth bag to create a spice pack. Add this along with slices of ginger, chopped green onions, and fine salt to the pot. Continue cooking over high heat until the lamb is almost cooked through (about 80% done). Add red oil and Sichuan pepper water, and cook for about two hours.
4. Keep the soup boiling throughout the process. Once the lamb is cooked, slice it thinly against the grain and place it in a bowl. Top with chopped coriander to complete the lamb soup.
Tips
Skimming the foam multiple times effectively removes the strong odor of the lamb.
Method Two for Making Shan County Lamb Soup
Ingredients Preparation
200 grams of lamb, one sheep bone, 100 grams of vermicelli, 3 grams of table salt, 3 grams of green onion, a small amount of Sichuan pepper, 4 grams of coriander, 3 grams of pepper, an appropriate amount of dried orange peel, 3 grams of ginger, an appropriate amount of cinnamon bark, an appropriate amount of chili oil, a small amount of nutmeg, and a small amount of fennel.
Cooking Steps
1. Clean the meat and bones, cut the meat into chunks, and break the bones.
2. Put the lamb and bones in a pot, add water, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam.
3. Remove the meat and bones, clean them, and add more water. Bring back to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour after adding all seasonings and a small amount of salt. Simmer for another half-hour.
5. Cut the vermicelli into segments, cook until tender, and place in a bowl with Sichuan pepper and chili.
6. Heat a small amount of oil and pour it over the ingredients in the bowl. The lamb should be ready to serve by this point.
Method Three for Making Shan County Lamb Soup
Ingredients Preparation
15 kilograms of deboned green mountain lamb from Shan County, 12.5 kilograms of fresh sheep bones, 500 grams of fruitwood charcoal oven-baked bread. 2 kilograms of raw sheep fat, 125 grams of Angelica root, 50 grams of star anise, 150 grams of cinnamon bark, 50 grams of Chinese ginger, 25 grams of cleaned white scallion, 100 grams of sliced ginger, 50 grams of salt, 30 grams of cinnamon and clove powder, 60 grams of chopped coriander, 60 grams of chopped leek sprouts, 60 grams of sesame oil, 60 grams of monosodium glutamate, 150 grams of spiced water.
Cooking Steps
1. Chop the fresh sheep bones into pieces weighing approximately 500 grams each. Smash the leg bones with the back of a knife. Soak in cold water for 2 hours, then place in a pot of 60-degree Celsius warm water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam repeatedly, then remove the bones and rinse them clean.
2. In a pot containing 25 liters of water, bring to 90 degrees Celsius and place the sheep bones at the bottom, followed by the lamb arranged neatly on top. Boil over high heat and skim off any blood foam. Then add another liter of water and bring back to a boil, skimming off any additional foam. Place the sheep fat on top of the lamb and continue boiling while skimming off any remaining foam.
3. Boil for 50 minutes until the soup is creamy white and the meat is about 80% cooked. Add the Angelica root, star anise, cinnamon bark, and Chinese ginger and continue cooking. Then add smashed green onion and ginger, salt, and constantly stir the lamb to ensure even cooking.
4. Remove the cooked lamb, cool, and slice into thin pieces about 3 centimeters long, 1.5 centimeters wide, and 1.5 millimeters thick. Place the slices in bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon and clove powder, chopped coriander, chopped leek sprouts, and monosodium glutamate.
5. Before serving, stir spiced water into the soup and ladle it into bowls. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve with fruitwood charcoal oven-baked bread.
Tips for Making Shan County Lamb Soup
1. When making lamb soup, use sheep bones as well.
2. While cooking the soup, frequently skim off any foam to remove impurities such as blood foam.
3. It is best to use green mountain lamb from Shan County if possible.