Welsh Crispy Lamb - Beijing Style
10th September 2019
I was recently contacted by PGI Welsh Lamb who invited me to Wales for a Lamb-Ed-U-Cation, which I eagerly accepted.
So what did I learn? Well PGI stands for Protected Geographical Indication, which is a way of recognising a specific geographical area that produces high-quality food and drink. This means that PGI Welsh Lamb is different and has special characteristics, flavours and textures that are unique to Wales and cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Over my Three Day staycation I visited Gower Salt Marsh Lamb, who not only have acres & acres of salt marshes to graze their sheep on they also have their own castle.
It turns out that Welsh Lamb is so good because of the Welsh climate, basically Wales gets lots and lots of rain, which is perfect for growing grass and perfect for the salt marshes.
Image taken by The Slimming Foodie
So what is traceability? Well did you know that every cut of Gower Salt Marsh Lamb can be traced to exactly where they were grazed and which butcher prepared them for the consumers, tracing the lambs journey all the way from Field to Fork.
So the best time to enjoy this premium Welsh produce is between August and November. Why? Because this allows the lambs born in the springtime to grow, graze on the lush green pastures & Salt Marshes and bulk up before heading to the butchers.
So we had seen the lamb's in the field now it was time to see how they were prepared for the consumer. The tour took us to Hugh Philips Butcher who skillfully demonstrated how they broke the lamb down into individual cuts
The evening finished at the beautiful Oxwich Bay, Beach House Restaurant, where owner and head chef Hywel Griffith and his team treated us to a fantastic meal of Laverbread Loaf, Charred Mackeral Fillet, Hay Smoked Lamb, Salt Marsh Lamb & Hazlenut Treacle Tart.
Crispy Beijing Lamb Recipe
Ingredients for Lamb
1 Lamb Breast (Optional: Deboned) (1.2kg)
2 tbsp Ginger, minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
6 tbsp Dark Soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Star Anise
200ml Shaosing Wine
2 tbsp Soft Brown Sugar
Water – to cover
CHINESE FOOD FACTS
Dark Soy sauce vs Light Soy sauce
Dark Chinese soy sauce is richer and less salty than light and might also have added sugar, like molasses. Often added to marinades and sauces to add colour and flavour to a dish.
Light soy sauce is more common in Chinese cooking. It is thinner and often used as a light seasoning or for dipping sauces
Steamed Bao Bun's
Cucumber – Cut into matchsticks
Spring Onions – Cut into thin strips
Lamb Sauce
1 Cup of Lamb cooking liquid (Fat skimmed off)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. Sugar
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180c or Gas Mark 4.
Place lamb in a large ovenproof pan; add the remainder of the Lamb ingredients plus enough water to just cover.
Seal with a lid or you can use silver foil (seal tightly) and cook for 3.5 hours until the lamb is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the cooking liquid with the lid on.
This can be done 1 day in advance, once the lamb has fully cooled place into the fridge.
Once the lamb has cooled remove lid and skim off the fat that has risen to the top and discard, carefully lift lamb out of the sauce, place under the grill on medium, cook lamb steadily turning once or twice during cooking. Ensure the lamb has heated all the way through and the skin is crispy.
Pour 1 cup of the lamb cooking liquid into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil, once boiling turn down to medium, add sugar and salt (to taste, aproximately 1/2 tsp) and allow sauce to reduce until it becomes sticky and clings to the back of a spoon,
Shred the meat, removing the layer of fat from under the skin as you do this, place onto a serving plate.
Serve with freshly steamed Bao, Cucumber and Shredded Spring Onions and the Sticky Lamb Sauce.
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