Kazakh Beshbarmak (Бешбармақ) — Boiled Meat and Noodles in Onion Broth

• 900 glamb shoulder on the bone
• 600 gbeef brisket
• 300 gkazy horse sausage (use halal-certified kazy if required)
• 3.5 lcold water
• 1large onion (peeled and halved)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 2 tspblack peppercorns
• 18 gfine sea salt
• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 2eggs
• 160 mlwarm water
• 40 gplain flour
• 2large onions (thinly sliced into half-moons)
• 500 mlhot strained meat broth
• 1.5 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 0.5 bunchflat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the lamb shoulder and beef brisket in a large stockpot and cover with 3.5 l cold water. Bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat, skimming the gray foam carefully for 15 minutes so the broth stays clear.

2. 2

   Add the halved onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 18 g salt to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover loosely, and simmer for 2 hours, keeping the liquid at a gentle tremble rather than a rolling boil.

3. 3

   Prick the kazy sausage in 3 places with a skewer and add it to the simmering pot. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes more, until the lamb and beef are very tender and the kazy is heated through without splitting.

4. 4

   While the meat cooks, make the noodle dough by mixing 500 g flour and 6 g salt in a wide bowl. Beat in the eggs and 160 ml warm water, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is firm, smooth, and no longer sticky.

5. 5

   Wrap the dough and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes. This rest hydrates the flour fully and makes it possible to roll the dough thinly without tearing.

6. 6

   Divide the dough into 3 portions and roll each portion on a floured surface to about 2 mm thick. Cut the sheets into rough diamonds or rectangles about 8 cm wide, dust them with the 40 g plain flour, and lay them in a single layer while the broth finishes.

7. 7

   Lift the cooked meats and kazy from the broth and keep them warm under foil or a lid. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard the boiled onion and spices, and reserve at least 2 l of clear broth for cooking noodles and serving.

8. 8

   For the onion sauce, put the sliced onions, 500 ml hot strained broth, 3 g salt, and 1.5 tsp black pepper in a saucepan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions soften but still hold their shape and the broth becomes sweet and aromatic.

9. 9

   Bring 1.5 l of the remaining strained broth to a lively simmer in a wide pot. Cook the noodle diamonds in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently so they do not stick, then lift them out with a slotted spoon.

10. 10

    Slice the beef, lamb, and kazy across the grain into generous pieces. Arrange the hot noodles on a large platter, lay the sliced meats on top, spoon over the onion sauce, and sprinkle with parsley.

11. 11

    Serve the extra hot broth in small bowls alongside the platter, as is customary for sorpa. Encourage diners to moisten their portion with more broth, because beshbarmak should be hearty and juicy rather than dry.