Lamb Neck Cassrole 草原羊蝎子 Recipe

Trim & Marinate

Pat lamb neck pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl combine light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, sea salt and black pepper. Add lamb pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 20–30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours).

Brown the Lamb

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil. When shimmering, working in batches if necessary, add marinated lamb pieces and brown on all sides until a deep golden color develops (3–5 minutes per side). Transfer browned pieces to a plate and reserve.

Bloom Spices and Aromatics

In the same pot reduce heat to medium. Add a little more oil if the pot is dry. Add ginger slices, crushed garlic, chopped scallion whites, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant and garlic begins to color lightly, scraping up browned bits from the pot bottom.

Build the Braising Sauce

Stir in tomato paste, hoisin sauce and dark soy sauce to coat the aromatics; cook 1 minute to remove raw tomato flavor. Add rock sugar and stir to dissolve.

Deglaze and Combine

Pour in Shaoxing-wine-flavored pan juices if any remain on the plate, then add chicken or beef stock and 1 cup water. Add the browned lamb back into the pot, arranging pieces bone-side down so meat is partially submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Braise Slowly

Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, turning pieces once halfway through. The lamb is done when meat is very tender and starts to pull away from the bones.

Add Root Vegetables

After the lamb has simmered 60–75 minutes and is tender but not falling apart, add daikon and carrots to the pot. Re-cover and continue simmering 20–30 minutes until vegetables are tender and flavors meld.

Adjust Sauce

Remove lid and increase heat to medium to reduce the braising liquid slightly if it is too thin, about 5–10 minutes. Stir in black vinegar and toasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or additional soy if needed.

Finish with Greens & Garnish

If using mushrooms or bok choy, add them in the last 5–8 minutes to just cook through (bok choy may be blanched separately and added for texture). Turn off heat. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and sliced scallion greens over the casserole before serving. Optionally drizzle chili oil per serving.

Ladle lamb, bones and vegetables into a wide shallow casserole or bowls so the rich sauce pools around the meat. Serve hot with steamed rice or flatbread to soak up the sauce. Provide extra chili oil and black vinegar at the table.