Autumn and winter are the right times for fattening and nourishing mutton. Mutton is sweet but not greasy, warm but not dry, delicious and juicy. Eating mutton in winter can not only resist wind and cold, but also nourish the body. It is really a delicacy that kills two birds with one stone.

There are many ways to eat mutton. In addition to stewing a pot of delicious mutton soup, braised mutton is also a favorite of many people.

If braised lamb is to be delicious, it is very important to properly match the spices. In particular, the addition of three spices can make the braised mutton taste even more outstanding, leaving a mouth-filling aroma without being fishy or smelly.

This is 2 and a half kilograms of lamb ribs I bought today, 40 yuan per kilogram, no more, no less, exactly 100 yuan. We don’t sell mutton separately here, only lamb legs and lamb ribs. As for the lamb ribs, in addition to the lamb ribs, it also comes with lamb spine, sheep skin and lamb belly. The whole piece of meat is fat and lean, with both bones and meat. It is stewed just right in one pot, so you don’t have to worry about it. Matching and easy to make. The bones of the sheep are very hard. When you buy it, you have it chopped by the vendor, and the size is just right. The mutton will shrink after being cooked, so it is better to chop it into larger pieces.

We first put the mutton into a clean large plate, and then simply wash it with warm water. After pouring out the blood, add water again. This time the water added should completely cover the mutton. We first soak the mutton for an hour to soak out the blood inside the mutton. This is a necessary step to remove the fishy smell. If the mutton you buy does not have a strong fishy smell, or you like the fishy smell of mutton and feel that if the mutton is not smelly, it will not have the taste of mutton, you can also choose to reduce the soaking time or not soak it in water at all.

After an hour, I could see that the water in which the mutton was soaked had completely turned red. Pour out the blood and pick up the mutton. Next step is to blanch the water.

First, we prepare a large pot of cold water. Put the mutton in the pot with cold water. The water should completely cover the mutton. Then add a few slices of ginger, then a few green onions, and finally add some cooking wine to remove the fishy smell. This is the routine operation of blanching water to remove the fishy smell.

Next, turn up the heat and slowly bring the water to a boil. Because our country has a vast territory and rich resources, there are many varieties of mutton, and there are many ways to cook braised mutton. There are great differences between the north and the south.

Our hotel’s braised lamb in winter is our signature dish and is very popular. It is often in short supply and needs to be booked in advance. The cooking method of braised mutton is also a combination of several schools, learning from each other's strong points to make it more suitable for local tastes.

After the water boils, use a slotted spoon to skim off the blood foam. After cooking over high heat for 2 minutes, use a large colander to take out all the mutton, wash it with warm water and remove any blood foam attached to the surface.

Here, please remember to add warm water. The mutton that has just been blanched is still very hot. If you wash it with cold water, the mutton will shrink sharply due to the drastic temperature change, causing the meat to become tight and taste bad.

From another perspective, mutton has a high fat content and can only be cleaned with warm water. When exposed to cold water, the mutton fat will solidify quickly, making it dirtier the more you wash it.

After all the cleaning is completed, we drain the mutton and set aside.

Next, let’s talk about the spices for braised mutton. In addition to the three most basic condiments, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves, there are three spices that have a miraculous effect on removing the fishy smell and increasing the aroma of the mutton. They are Angelica dahurica, caoguo (caoguo must be seeded), and fennel. It is enough for ordinary families to braise mutton.

The rest are the common dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. You can adjust the amount according to your own taste. If you like spicy food, you can add a little more. I will type out the detailed dosage formula in text form at the end of the video.

Let’s prepare slightly more peeled ginger slices and some green onion segments. Mutton and green onions are the best match, so don’t use green onions instead. In addition, because the braised lamb is stewed for a long time, the ginger slices must be peeled, otherwise it will have a slight bitter taste. When I blanched the ginger before, I didn't peel it.

Prepare two tablespoons of Pixian red oil bean paste and chop it into fine powder with a knife. This way the chopped bean paste will be more fragrant and easier to fry the red oil. Of course, it is also available now Doubanjiang is sold as finely chopped bean paste and is very convenient to use directly.

The above are all small details when cooking mutton. Although they will not determine the success or failure of cooking mutton, they will really affect the taste of the mutton.

Prepare a clean pot and add a little vegetable oil to moisten the pot. After the oil is hot, pour in all the drained lamb. The drier the surface of the lamb, the less likely it will stick to the pan. We need to stir-fry the mutton until fragrant and stir-fry to release the moisture. As the water inside the mutton evaporates, the fishy smell inside the mutton will also be taken away. Fry until the surface of the mutton is slightly browned and some of the fat spits out, then turn off the heat and add all the mutton and set aside.

If you don’t like the strong fishy smell, just start another pot. If you don’t mind, don’t change the pot. Add some more vegetable oil to the pot, then add the chopped bean paste and cook the bean paste over low heat. Stir-fry the sauce until fragrant, and stir-fry until the red oil comes out. Next, add all the ginger slices and green onion segments and stir-fry until fragrant. We pour all the spices into the pot. These spices have been washed with water and are not easy to burn. When the aroma of the spices is strong, we pour all the mutton back into the pot and stir-fry until it colors.

When the mutton is fried, pour a little cooking wine along the edge of the pot to bring out the charming aroma and take away the fishy smell of the mutton.

At this time, you can add boiling water. It is particularly emphasized here that it must be boiling water, never cold water. I always remind you this repeatedly. If cold water is added, the mutton will expand and contract due to heat and cold, and the meat will become tight, so the umami flavor will not come out and the meat will become too dull. Lamb with boiling water and cold water have completely different tastes.

Add boiling water just enough to cover the mutton. Turn on high heat and bring the mutton soup to a boil.

Next, start seasoning, add about 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce, then add a little more than a tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and finally add a little sugar and you're done. There is no need to add salt here because the bean paste and light soy sauce both have salt.

Let’s change to a casserole. After the water boils, cover it and simmer for an hour and a half.

After an hour and a half, we opened the lid, wow, it was really fragrant. At this time, according to the condition of the soup, if you collect the juice, there is no need to thicken it, because the mutton fat has been mixed into the soup. Inside, it's very mellow. You can add a little pepper before serving, then sprinkle with garlic leaves, or garlic leaves, and a delicious pot of braised lamb is ready.

The aroma of mutton can be smelled from nine streets away. Put a small alcohol stove under the casserole and take a bite while it's hot. It's really fragrant and delicious. The mutton is soft and tasty, not woody at all, and the taste is really unique. The soup is also rich and mellow. When poured over rice, it is spicy and appetizing, especially with rice.

Mutton is warm in nature, and its nourishing effect on the body is great when eaten in winter. After eating it, your whole body will feel warm, and your hands and feet will no longer feel cold. Friends who like braised mutton should give it a try. This is the spice recipe, you can pause and save the screenshot.