How to make Japanese Genghis Khan (grilled lamb with vegetables)
In Hokkaido, the latest cookbook by Tim Anderson, you embark on a culinary journey to Japan’s northernmost island. Hokkaido is known for its unique blend of Ainu gastronomy, Japanese traditions and European influences. Think sweet corn with miso butter, smelt tempura, yakisoba with scallops and the famous Hokkaido croquettes. From savoury Genghis Khan to surprising desserts such as the famous Snowmelt cheesecake, this book immerses you in Hokkaido’s rich and varied cuisine.
Tim: “There are various theories about the origins of this dish of grilled lamb and vegetables, but they all involve fanciful images of Mongolian feasts filled with mutton combined with Northeastern Chinese dishes, which became better known among the Japanese after the invasion of Manchuria in 1931. This coincided with an increase in the number of sheep farms in Hokkaido, initially for wool production. The dish has little to do with Mongolia. But you do feel like a true barbarian when you eat it.
Sizzle, dip, chew, swallow, drink
You sit down and receive a large stone beer mug filled with cold beer, bowls full of lamb and vegetables, and the most imposing part of your armour: a disposable bib. You cook everything on a domed cast-iron griddle that reminds you of Mongolian shields. As soon as the food has reached the desired doneness, you pick it up from the hot plate with chopsticks, dip it in a tangy sauce and put it in your mouth between sips of beer. The late Jonathon Gold once said that ‘taco’ should be a verb, a fluid movement from the griddle to your mouth. The same goes for jingisukan: sizzle, dip, chew, swallow, drink.”
Making Japanese Genghis Khan
- Let the lamb firm up in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, purée all the ingredients for the tare in a food processor. Slice the lamb very thinly across the grain. Mix the ingredients for the tare thoroughly in a bowl. Give everyone their own bowl of tare.
- Place a portable cooker and all the raw ingredients on the table so everyone can cook everything themselves. Put a bowl of tare next to each person for dipping. Place a wide frying pan or griddle on the cooker over high heat. Melt the lamb fat in the pan and cook the lamb and vegetables to taste, dip them in the tare and enjoy. You can also do this on the barbecue, but you will need a very fine-meshed grill grate or a perforated metal plate to place over the coals.
- If cooking together is not practical, simply heat the largest pan or griddle you have over high heat, add the fat and brown the lamb and vegetables together in about 10 minutes. Place on the table and serve with the tare.
Title: Hokkaido
Author: Tim Anderson
Price: €32,50
Publisher: Cood Cook
Publication date: 3-4-2025
Also read:
