Crispy Fried Lamb Belly (Zha Zhi Gai)

Name: Crispy Fried Lamb Belly (Zha Zhi Gai)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 500 g Lamb belly (washed); 1 (approximately 50 g) Egg (beaten into a bowl, mixed with wet starch into a paste); 10 g Soy sauce; 15 g Scallion (cut into segments); 15 g Ginger (sliced); 10 g Garlic (sliced); 10 g Wet starch; 15 g Sweet bean sauce (mixed with sesame oil); 15 g Sesame oil (mixed with sweet bean sauce); to taste Peanut oil (for deep-frying)

炸脂盖 (Zha Zhi Gai)

A traditional Shandong (Lu) cuisine dish: cooked lamb is coated in egg batter, deep-fried to a crisp golden exterior with a tender interior, and served with sweet bean sauce, scallions, and garlic.

2 hours

Medium

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Ingredients

Lamb belly (washed) 500 g

Egg (beaten into a bowl, mixed with wet starch into a paste) 1 (approximately 50 g)

Soy sauce 10 g

Scallion (cut into segments) 15 g

Ginger (sliced) 15 g

Garlic (sliced) 10 g

Wet starch 10 g

Sweet bean sauce (mixed with sesame oil) 15 g

Sesame oil (mixed with sweet bean sauce) 15 g

Peanut oil (for deep-frying) to taste

Instructions

Preparing the Lamb

Wash the lamb and place it in a pot of cold water. Boil for about 5 minutes to draw out the blood, then remove and let cool. Cut into slices 8 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, and 0.8 cm thick.

Steaming

Lay the meat slices flat on a plate, add the soy sauce, scallion segments, ginger slices, and garlic slices, then steam until cooked through (about 90 minutes). Remove, drain off the liquid, and discard the scallion, ginger, and garlic slices.

Coating

Beat the egg in a bowl, add the wet starch, and mix into a smooth paste. Coat each meat slice evenly with the egg paste.

First Fry

Heat peanut oil in a wok over medium heat to about 80% hot (around 200°C). Add the meat slices and fry until nearly cooked through, and remove from the oil.

Second Fry

When the oil returns to about 90% hot (around 225°C), return the meat slices to the oil and fry until golden brown, then remove.

Plating

Cut the fried meat slices into diagonal pieces and arrange on a serving plate.

Accompaniments

Mix the sweet bean sauce with the sesame oil and place in a small dipping dish. Place the scallion segments and garlic cloves in another small dish. Serve both alongside the lamb as condiments.