The Hirshon Mongolian Khorkhog – Lamb or Goat Stew Cooked With Red-Hot Rocks – Хорхог

My Citizens! There can be no equivocation whatsoever that the far-ranging tastes of the Munificent One – the Arbiter of Good Taste who dwells alone at the summit of knowledge, YOUR TFD! – encompass many locales and genres. In music, for example, my tastes range from Malian Blues, American Jazz, Hassidic Reggae, Argentine Tango, Finnish Bluegrass and all the way to the extremely awesome Mongolian Metal.

…Mongolian Metal…?

Yes, and if you doubt my awesome taste in music, just listen to the glory of the Mongolian Metal band known as ‘The Hu’ as they play their native instruments in a truly head-banging fashion (complete with the eerie Himalayan throat singing that sounds like a Heavy Metal growl!).

Now that we have it out of the way that my musical taste is both eclectic and superb, let’s talk about today’s recipe – straight from the steppes of Mongolia, the stew known as khorkhog!

Khorkhog is a barbecue dish in Mongolian cuisine. Khorkhog is made by cooking pieces of meat inside a container which also contains hot stones and water, and is often also heated from the outside.

To make khorkhog, Mongolians take lamb (goat meat can be substituted) and cut it into pieces of convenient size, leaving the bone in. Then the cook puts ten to twenty fist-sized rocks in a fire.

When the rocks are hot enough, the rocks and the meat are placed in the chosen cooking container. Metal milk jugs are a traditional choice, although any container sturdy enough to hold the hot rocks will serve.

The cook adds other ingredients as desired (carrots, cabbage, potatoes) to make a stew, then adds salt and other spices. The ingredients should be layered, with the vegetables on top. Finally, the cook pours in a sufficient quantity of water to create a steam bubble inside the jug, which he then closes with a lid.

The heat of the stones and the steam will cook the meat inside the jug. The cook can also put the jug on a fire or the stove if the stones are not hot enough. The stones will turn black from the heat and the fat they absorb from the lamb.

The jug should remain covered while the cook listens to and smells the meal to judge when it is ready. The stones can take up to an hour and a half to cook the meat sufficiently. When finished, the khorkhog is ready to eat.

The cook hands out portions of meat along with the hot stones which are tossed from hand to hand and are said to have beneficial properties. Diners usually eat khorkhog with their fingers, although one can use a knife to slice the meat off the bone.

Khorkhog is a popular dish in the Mongolian countryside, but usually is not served in restaurants.

Here is a fantastic video on how Mongolians make khorkhog:

As noted on food.nomadicboys.com:

After cooking is completed, the hot stones are traditionally passed around for people to rub them in their hands. It is said that cooking these stones in contact with the meat fat gives them healing effects.

A competition usually breaks out between the men in the ger (the village) to see who can grip the stones for longest. We only lasted about 4 seconds…!

This dish is cooked in a milk jug in Mongolia, you can buy one of the proper size here.

It’s a simple dish, Citizens. Eat it with your hands as it was intended, juggle a few hot rocks for show and enjoy this taste of the steppes! Try it with some delicious Mongolian Khuushuur for a full meal – and of course, play some of The Hu as you eat!

Battle on – the Generalissimo

The Hirshon Mongolian Khorkhog – Goat Stew Cooked With Red-Hot Rocks – Хорхог

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Ingredients

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• 5 kg lamb or goat meat (ideally ribs) - cut into small pieces
• 7 potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 4 carrots cut into large chunks peeled and chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 head garlic - peel each clove and chop each clove in half
• 1 Tbsp. freshly-ground caraway
• 4 tsp. Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• water - about 250ml
• Pepper-flavored vodka - about 50ml (TFD change, original recipe used unflavored)
• 10-15 round and smooth fist-sized stones

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Instructions

1. Prepare the stones by cleaning them thoroughly and heating them over red-hot coals for around 1 hour.
2. While doing this, prepare the ingredients as set out above.
3. Put the water and vodka in a large pot with pepper and 2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil.
4. Once the stones are heated, start adding the meat and vegetables in batches into the large pot and with each batch CAREFULLY add a stone, so that they are eventually all distributed evenly between the meat and vegetables.
5. Add 2 more tsp. of salt plus the pepper and caraway.
6. Close the lid and cook over medium-high heat for around 1 ½ – 2 hours.
7. Check the pot intermittently to ensure the meat is not burning and add water if necessary.
8. The juice from the meat will create a delicious broth which is also served alongside the meat and vegetables in a separate bowl passed round.
9. Khorkhog is usually eaten without cutlery, just with the fingers.

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