Chanasan Makh

Ingredients

Meat

• 2 kgmutton on the bone
• ribs, shoulder and leg pieces
• 3 litrescold water
• 2 tablespoonssalt

Sometimes added

• 1onion, halved
• a few black peppercorns
• 1carrot
• a handful of wild onion or garlic

To serve

• coarse salt, on the side
• a sharp knife each
• bowls, for the broth
• flatbread, optional

Directions

1. Salt is the main and often only seasoning. That is partly about what grows on the steppe. Cut the mutton into large pieces on the bone. Leave the bones in throughout.
2. Rinse the pieces under cold water. Do not trim the fat off at all. Put the meat into a large pot.
3. Cover it with plenty of cold water. Starting from cold draws flavour into the broth. Bring it up slowly to a simmer. Skim it off carefully with a spoon.
4. Keep skimming until no more rises. Take your time over this step. Add the salt once it is skimmed. Add the onion and peppercorns if using them. Never let it boil hard at any point.
5. Let it cook for about two hours. Judging when it is done takes a fork. Taste it near the end of cooking. It should taste rich and clean.
6. Adjust the salt as it needs it. Serving it is done simply and communally. Lift the meat out onto a large platter. Serve it hot with the bones still in.
7. Put a dish of coarse salt on the table. Each piece is dipped in salt if wanted. Strain the broth into bowls afterwards. It is drunk hot at the end of the meal.

Technique

• Mongolian cooking uses very few seasonings, and good mutton is considered to need nothing beyond salt.
• The cooking water is served as a broth called shul and is regarded as restorative, mattering as much as the meat itself.

Substitutions

• Lamb works in place of mutton but has a milder flavour and cooks faster.
• Goat is boiled the same way in some households.

Variations

• Some households add noodles to the broth to make a second dish.
• Khorkhog cooks the same meat with hot stones in a sealed container.
• Boodog is cooked inside the animal’s own skin with hot stones.

History

The everyday herder meal; the cooking water is served as a restorative broth and nothing of the slaughtered animal is discarded.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chanasan Makh?

Chanasan Makh is a main from Mongolia: mutton boiled on the bone with little more than salt, broth drunk after. The everyday herder meal; the cooking water is served as a restorative broth and nothing of the slaughtered animal is discarded.

How long does Chanasan Makh take to make?

Chanasan Makh takes 15 minutes of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chanasan Makh?

Yes, within limits. Lamb works in place of mutton but has a milder flavour and cooks faster. Goat is boiled the same way in some households.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chanasan Makh?

Rinse the pieces under cold water. Do not trim the fat off at all. Put the meat into a large pot.