Dogroma (Dograma) — Turkmen Mutton and Bread Broth

• 1.2 kghalal bone-in lamb shoulder (mutton is more traditional if available)
• 500 glamb neck bones (adds body to the broth)
• 3 lcold water
• 1yellow onion (peeled and halved)
• 12 gfine sea salt
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 2yellow onions (thinly sliced)
• 3ripe tomatoes (diced into 1 cm pieces)
• 450 gTurkmen çörek flatbread (one-day-old bread tears cleanly and absorbs broth well)
• 0.5 bunchfresh cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the lamb shoulder and lamb neck bones under cold running water, then place them in a large heavy pot with 3 l cold water. Bring the pot slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming off foam for 15 minutes so the dograma broth stays clear and clean-tasting.

2. 2

   Add the halved onion, 12 g fine sea salt, and 1 tsp black peppercorns to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 2 hours until the meat pulls away from the bone with very little resistance.

3. 3

   Lift the cooked lamb onto a tray and strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Discard the boiled onion and peppercorns, then keep the broth hot over low heat while the meat cools for 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Pull the lamb from the bones and remove any large pieces of gristle or excess fat. Chop the meat finely with a knife into small bite-size pieces, because the classic dograma texture depends on meat, bread, and vegetables being evenly cut or torn.

5. 5

   Put the thinly sliced onions in a bowl and rinse them with 300 ml cold water for 20 seconds to soften their sharpness. Drain well, then mix the onions with the diced tomatoes and chopped lamb so the fresh vegetables warm gently from the meat without losing their brightness.

6. 6

   Tear the çörek by hand into rough 2 cm pieces and divide it among 6 deep serving bowls. Hand-tearing is important because the irregular edges soak up broth better than neat cubes and give dograma its traditional rustic body.

7. 7

   Divide the lamb, onion, and tomato mixture over the torn çörek in each bowl. Ladle about 350 ml of very hot broth into each serving, making sure the bread is thoroughly moistened but not crushed into paste.

8. 8

   Rest the bowls for 2 minutes so the çörek absorbs the broth while still keeping some texture. Finish each bowl with chopped cilantro and freshly ground black pepper, then serve immediately while the broth is steaming.