Kyrgyz Hand-Grabbed Meat 柯尔克孜手抓肉

Kyrgyz Hand-Grabbed Meat (柯尔克孜手抓肉) is mutton boiled in plain water and eaten with the fingers. China National Radio's Xinjiang service names the Kyrgyz (柯尔克孜族), together with the Uyghurs and Kazakhs, as peoples who eat hand-grabbed lamb regularly. Most of China's Kyrgyz live in the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture (克孜勒苏柯尔克孜自治州) in south-western Xinjiang.

How it is made

The dish takes its name from the way it is eaten. According to China National Radio, the lamb is stewed in clear water with no seasoning at all. Chinese Wikipedia describes the usual cuts as fatty, bone-in pieces such as leg or ribs, boiled with onion until just done, then lifted out and cut into small pieces.

How it is eaten

Diners pick up the meat by hand and dip it in salt. China National Radio lists what usually comes with it: a dish of onion, a dish of salt, baked naan and hot brick tea, so that the meat is eaten between bites of bread. After a few pieces, a bowl of the broth the meat was cooked in is brought out, usually with chopped onion and coriander added; in some places thin slices of tomato go into the broth as well. Chinese Wikipedia also mentions garlic paste with vinegar, or pepper salt, as dips.