Mutton is a delicacy regardless of region, but the cooking method is different in different places. Shandong mutton is rarely made into braised mutton , but most of it is made into mutton soup, which is famous Shanxian mutton soup and has won the reputation of the first soup in China.
A Shandong girl visited an ancient town in Zhejiang. The local specialties are mutton noodles and steamed vat mutton. The cooking method is completely different from that of Shandong mutton.
How could a Shandong girl who likes mutton miss it? I came to a local mutton shop that has been in business for many years. The owner of the shop is an uncle in his 60s. His mutton method is very special. He uses local goats and ties the cleaned mutton with straw and puts it in a mouthful. In a large vat, firewood is burned on an earthen stove and the mutton is steamed over slow fire.
It usually takes more than three hours to steam it. The steamed mutton is soft and delicious. His family's business has always been very good. Now that the weather is hot and there are few people eating mutton, he can sell one sheep a day.
The taste of the mutton in the steamer is crisper and more mellow, and the taste of the mutton is stronger. When cooking mutton in Shandong, the lid of the pot should be opened, which will evaporate part of the mutton flavor. The steamed mutton in Zhejiang Ancient Town is stewed with the lid on, and the taste is stronger. It is rich and uses more seasonings than Shandong. It includes cinnamon, fennel, ginger, red dates, etc. The meat tastes crispy, the juice is thick and the flavor is pure, fresh and delicious.
According to the boss, after autumn, his family can sell 6 tanks of mutton every day. Three sheep are not enough to sell. Lamb hooves, which are not very popular in other places, are very popular in his store. Generally, you need to make a reservation or have an acquaintance to buy it.
I couldn’t believe it when I checked out. Such a big bowl of steamed mutton only costs 24 yuan. In Shandong, mutton is sold for 80 yuan a bowl, and for 20 yuan, there are only a few slices.
Their mutton noodles are also delicious. The soft and glutinous mutton is paired with chewy noodles, topped with pure fragrant soup and sprinkled with chopped green onion. It tastes without any odor, crisp but not rotten, and not oily. It's greasy and tastes really good. After eating this bowl of noodles, you won't have to eat at night. One bowl of noodles will make two meals!
