Lamb Zhajiangmian

Braised Australian Lamb, Wavy Wheat Noodles, Fermented Bean Sauce

Chef Trigg Brown of Win Son | Brooklyn

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Adapted by StarChefs | July 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Marinated Australian Lamb:
1 pound Australian lamb shoulder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger 
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons red chile flakes, such as gochugaru or Szechuan pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Australian Lamb Bone Broth:
Black peppercorns
5 cardamom pods
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 head garlic, lightly crushed
1 bunch scallions
3 ounces ginger, washed and crushed

Australian Lamb Sauce:
4 large dried shiitake mushrooms
Neutral oil, such as soybean oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup tianmianjiang
1 tablespoon red miso paste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Soy sauce

Cilantro-Mint Sauce:
100 grams sugar
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch fresh mint, picked
120 milliliters light corn syrup

To Assemble and Serve
1 pound thick-cut Asian wheat noodles
2 teaspoons shiro dashi
1 tablespoon chile flakes, such as gochugaru or Szechuan pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Julienned cucumber
Slivered scallions
Fried shallots
Chopped cilantro
Braising liquid

METHOD:

For the Marinated Australian Lamb:
Remove lamb meat from shoulder and shank bones. Cut meat into ½-inch pieces, reserving the bones for broth. In a large bowl, mix to combine lamb meat with all remaining ingredients. Add lamb pieces, toss. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).

 For the Australian Lamb Bone Broth:
Add reserved lamb bones to a stock pot or Dutch oven, then cover with water. Add a handful of black peppercorns and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let stock cook 8 hours (or overnight). The following day, strain and reserve.

For the Australian Lamb Sauce:
In a bowl, combine dried shiitakes with 2 cups water. Let soak at least 30 minutes (or overnight). Strain the hydrated mushrooms, reserving the liquid, then finely chop, discarding the stems. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over high flame, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil until spattering. In batches, sear Marinated Australian Lamb pieces in a single, even layer until browned on one side, adding more oil between batches as needed. Remove Marinated Australian Lamb from pot and set aside. Add garlic, chopped shiitakes, and another tablespoon of oil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms have slightly browned. Add tianmianjiang and red miso paste and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot. In a mixing bowl, combine strained mushroom liquid with 2 cups Australian Lamb Bone Broth. Stir in cornstarch. Return seared Marinated Australian Lamb to the pot. Slowly stir in thickened stock mixture, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover. Cook 3 hours, stirring often. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until meat is very tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce, approximately 1 hour. Season with soy sauce as needed.

For the Cilantro-Mint Sauce:
In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup water to a boil. Remove from heat, then stir in sugar until dissolved. Let cool. Bring a separate, large pot of water to a boil, and prepare an ice bath. Blanch herbs no more than 10 seconds, then shock in the ice bath. Once the herbs are cool, rinse, and shake out the water. In a blender or food processor, add blanched herbs, simple syrup, and corn syrup. Purée until the leaves are very finely processed, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Stir in splashes of water until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve. 

To Assemble and Serve:
Cook noodles according to manufacturer’s instructions. In a large mixing bowl, toss noodles with shiro dashi, chile flakes, sesame oil, and ½ cup Cilantro-Mint sauce. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with cucumber, scallion, fried shallots, and cilantro. Smother with 1 cup of the Australian Lamb Sauce. 

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