Name: Hong Men Yang Rou {Chinese Lamb Stew} Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 lb lamb, stew meat; 1/2 tsp cooking oil, such as avocado oil, optional if the lamb has some fat; 4 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp douchi; 1 tbsp cane sugar; 1/2 tsp red yeast rice powder; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 large red onion; 1.5 lb potatoes; 0.5 lb carrots; 1.5 lb daikon radish; 1/2 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt; a small bunch of cilantro or parsley, for garnishing; 2 cups of water, for braising

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Hong Men Yang Rou {红焖羊肉}, loosely translates as Red Braised Lamb is a traditional lamb stew in northern China. Xin Xiang {新乡}, a city in He Nan {河南} Province, is especially well-known for its scrupulous Braised Lamb Dish. Potatoes, Daikon, and carrots are popular companions to cook together with the lamb. So naturally delicious and satisfyingly healthy. Perfect to add to a bed of steamed rice for an easy yummy rice bowl.

How to make the best Hong Men Yang Rou {Red Braised Lamb Stew}?

Tip No.1 is to prepare and pre-cook potatoes, carrots and daikon beforehand

Among the three, daikon takes the longest to cook. We can compensate for this by cutting the daikon into long thin slices. Fill an 8-Q large stockpot with water, about three-quarters full. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil.

Then add the chopped potatoes, carrots and daikon. Use a stainless steel spider strainer to mix and submerge them underneath the water and wait for it to reach the boil again. Then turn the heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes.

Do not skip this step. It helps condition daikon, carrots and potatoes nicely.

freshly blanched/cooked potatoes, carrots and daikon

Tip No.2 is to pan-fry the lamb chunks to sear them properly

If you are getting quality lamb meat, as I do, you do not need to blanch them first to get rid of the impurities. The blanching process does take away part of the deliciousness of the meat and makes the meat dry. A good wash and rinse will do.

Turn the heat to medium-high and heat a cast iron Wok for 2 minutes. If your lamb has some fatty portions, then you don’t need to add any oil. Otherwise, spray a tiny bit of cooking oil such as avocado oil using the glass oil sprayer. Just add the red onion slices along with the lamb chunks to the wok. Flip and turn until the lamb changes color, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the salt on the lamb halfway through.

Then pour the braising sauce including soy sauce, douchi, red yeast rice powder, along with a pinch of chili powder. Continue to toss, fold and mix for about 1 minute.

sautee the lamb with sauce in the wok for Hong Men Yang Rou {red braised lamb}

Tip No.3 is to stir fry the lamb with precooked vegetables for a delicious Hong Men Yang Rou

Add the precooked potatoes, carrots and daikon to the wok, continue to fold and stir fry for about 1 minute. Splash 2 tbsp light soy sauce over the vegetables and continue to fold and mix together.

stir fry lamb with vegetables for Chinese Lamb Stew

Last but not least is to braise the Chinese Lamb Stew {Hong Men Yang Rou}

Pour about 2 cups of water along the edge of the wok, cover the wok with the lid, and wait for it to reach a boil. Once it reaches a boil, fold and mix everything with the juice in the wok, turn the heat to low, close the lid, and cook for 15 minutes.

The last step is to glaze the whole dish. Turn the heat back to medium-high and use a wide flexible turner to turn and flip the lamb with vegetables non-stop for about 3-5 minutes.

That’s it. Enjoy a yummy healthy and hearty Chinese Labm Stew {Hong Men Yang Rou 红焖羊肉}.

Hong Men Yang Rou {Chinese Lamb Stew} Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Hong Men Yang Rou {红焖羊肉}, loosely translates as Red Braised Lamb is a traditional food in northern China. Potatoes, daikon and carrots are popular braise together with the lamb. So naturally yummy and healthy.

Ingredients

2 lb lamb, stew meat
1/2 tsp cooking oil, such as avocado oil, optional if the lamb has some fat
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp douchi
1 tbsp cane sugar
1/2 tsp red yeast rice powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 large red onion
1.5 lb potatoes
0.5 lb carrots
1.5 lb daikon radish
1/2 tsp salt, such as Himalayan pink salt
a small bunch of cilantro or parsley, for garnishing
2 cups of water, for braising

Instructions

Gather ingredients. Wash & rinse lamb well, and cut into stew size. Add 4 tbsp dark soy sauce and 2 tbsp light soy sauce to a small bowl.
Prep vegetables. For red onion, peel the outer layer and cut it into slices. For potatoes, daikon and carrots, wash & rinse well and peel the skin using a peeler. Cut daikon into small thin long pieces. Cut potatoes and carrots into small chunks for stew, similar to that of the lamb. Loosely chop cilantro or parsley.
Precook the vegetables. Fill an 8-Q stockpot with water, about three-quarters full, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil. Then add the potatoes, daikon, and carrots to the pot. Use a stainless steel strainer to mix and fold into the water, cover the pot with a lid, and bring it to a boil. Following that, turn the heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the vegetables from the pot using the stainless steel strainer and set them aside.
Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the cast iron wok for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp oil to the wok if the lamb meat is very lean, and use a silicone spatula to spread it out evenly. Add half of the chopped red onion and lamb chunks to the wok. Use a pair of bamboo spatulas to toss and mix for about 2-3 minutes or till the lamb changes color and is properly seared.
Add the soy sauce, douchi, red yeast powder, chili powder, and cane sugar to the Wok. Continue to use the pair of bamboo spatulas to toss, fold and mix for another 2 minutes.
Add the pre-cooked vegetables to the wok and sprinkle the 1/2 tsp salt evenly over the vegetables. Continue to toss, fold and mix for another 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water to the wok, and fold into the lamb and vegetables. Cover the wok with a lid and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat back to medium-high, add the remaining half of the chopped red onion, fold, and turn nonstop for about 5 minutes. All done! Enjoy a naturally yummy and satisfying Hong Men Yang Rou {Chinese Lamb Stew}!