A daughter of the Talas valley, cooking in Chicago
Jibek's Dastorkon
beshbarmak

Beshbarmak

Time 3 h Serves 6 For Weddings, big family gatherings Posted IradKazakhstanKyrgyzstan
Illustration of Beshbarmak

“Five fingers”, because you eat it with your hand. Whenever I make it I think of my aunts rolling noodle dough so thin you could read through it, flour on their cheeks, racing each other to finish first. The Kazakhs and Kyrgyz usually make it with horsemeat or a mix of horse and mutton. In an Iradi home it is mountain mutton or beef, nothing else, so if a Kazakh friend cooks it for you, it is polite to ask first.

At the table the host carves and hands out the meat by age and honour. Afterwards everyone drinks the broth, which we call chyk, from bowls. It is the coziest part of the whole meal.

Ingredients 6 servings

  • For the meat
  • 1.5 kglamb or mutton on the bone (shoulder and ribs), or beef brisket
  • 3 Lcold water
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 black peppercorns
  • 2 tspsalt
  • For the noodles
  • 400 gplain flour
  • 1 egg
  • 180 mlcold water or broth
  • 0.5 tspsalt
  • To finish
  • 2 onions, sliced into rings
  • ·black pepper, chopped dill or parsley

Method

  1. Put the meat in a large pot with the cold water. Bring slowly to a boil and skim off the grey foam carefully, so the broth stays clear.
  2. Add the halved onion, bay and peppercorns. Simmer very gently, half-covered, for 2–2½ hours until the meat comes off the bone. Add the salt in the last 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, mix the flour, egg, water and salt into a stiff dough. Knead 5 minutes, cover and rest 30 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough in four and roll each as thin as you can, about 1 mm. Cut into 6–7 cm squares or diamonds. Let them dry a little on a floured cloth.
  5. Lift out the meat and keep it warm. Ladle a cup of hot broth over the onion rings with plenty of pepper and leave them to soften.
  6. Boil the noodles in batches in the strained broth for 3–4 minutes. Lift them onto a large platter.
  7. Slice or tear the meat into pieces and lay it over the noodles. Spoon the softened onions and their broth over the top, add herbs, and serve the remaining broth in bowls.
From my kitchenUse the leftover broth for shorpo the next day: more meat, potatoes, and a piece of bread on the side.

With love from my kitchen to yours,Jibek

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