Add to favourite + Print

Crispy Mongolian lamb

By Good Food

Braise lamb breast with aromatics then grill until crisp and serve with noodles for a cheap but chic meal for two

Prep:10 mins
Cook:3 hrs

Serves 2
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 643
fat 36g
saturates 18g
carbs 21g
sugars 20g
fibre 0g
protein 54g
salt 5.3g

Ingredients

1 breast of lamb, about 750g
thumb-size piece ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
150ml Shaohsing rice wine
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 round lettuce, leaves separated
3 spring onions, cut into finger-length pieces then shredded
¼ cucumber, cut into matchsticks

Tip

Serve with stir-fried noodles
Cook 2 blocks medium egg noodles following pack instructions, then drain. Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok or frying pan and throw in a handful beansprouts and 1 sliced red chilli. Cook for 1 min then add a ladleful of the reserved cooking liquid from the lamb. Add the noodles to the pan with 2 sliced spring onions, tossing well to combine. Stir-fry for 1-2 mins on a high heat until all the noodles are coated in the sauce.

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the lamb in a casserole dish with a lid. Add remaining ingredients plus enough water to just cover. Cook with the lid on for 3 hrs until the meat is tender and the bones pull out easily. Allow to cool still covered in the cooking liquid with the lid on. You can do this 1-2 days in advance and let the lamb cool completely in the fridge. This will make the next step easier.
When cold, lift the lamb out of the liquid and transfer to a baking tray. Skim fat from the sauce. Reserve half the sauce for the noodles (in 'Try' section, below) and bubble the rest, still in the pan, until thick and syrupy. Pour into a small serving bowl. Heat grill to medium and grill lamb until crisp and hot through, but not too dark.
Shred the lamb, discarding most of the fat and all the bones, but keep the nice, crisp skin. You can cut the skin off first and leave it in a hot oven while you shred the rest of the meat. To serve, take everything to the table and eat the lamb rolled up in the lettuce leaves with the cucumber, spring onions and sauce, plus the noodles on the side.