Hami Mutton with Braised Flatbread 哈密羊肉焖饼

Hami Mutton with Braised Flatbread (哈密羊肉焖饼) is a dish of mutton braised under layers of paper-thin, hand-rolled flatbread, from Hami (哈密) in Xinjiang. China News Service calls it a traditional Hami dish with a history of more than 200 years and one of Xinjiang's ten classic dishes; the Hami city government includes it, as Hami mutton braised flatbread (哈密羊肉焖饼子), on its page of local foods.

How it is made

According to China News Service, the mutton comes from Barkol County (巴里坤县) in the Hami area. Rib and leg meat is cut into pieces and stir-fried over a fierce flame with spices, then boiling water goes in. Once it is back on the boil, hand-rolled thin flatbreads are laid over the meat in layers and braised until everything is cooked. China News Service says the bread has to be as thin as a cicada's wing but as tough as a bowstring.

Flavour and texture

The Hami city government describes the mutton as slow-stewed until soft and full of flavour, and the thin bread as soaked through with the cooking juices while staying chewy. China News Service says the finished dish carries both the aroma of the meat and the wheaty smell of the bread.