Beshbarmak (Five Fingers)

About This Recipe

Beshbarmak literally means 'five fingers' — the dish is eaten without cutlery, scooped up by hand from a shared platter. At its heart is a long, gentle simmer of fatty lamb shoulder and, when available, cured horse meat (kazy), which yields a clear, deeply aromatic sorpa broth. Wide squares of fresh egg-noodle dough are boiled in that same broth so they soak up the meat fat, then layered with the sliced meats and a topping of onions softened in skimmed broth fat (tuzdyk). The eldest guest receives the sheep's head; everyone else gets a portion proportional to their seniority. It is the centrepiece of every Kazakh and Kyrgyz wedding, funeral, and naming ceremony — slow food, communal food, identity food.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgfatty lamb shoulder, bone-in
• 400 gkazy (cured horse sausage) or beef brisket
• 3 Lcold water
• 2bay leaves
• 10black peppercorns
• 1 tbspsalt, plus more for dough
• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 2 largeeggs
• 150 mlcold water (for dough)
• 3 largeyellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 small bunchfresh parsley or dill, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the broth

   Place lamb and kazy in a tall pot, cover with cold water, and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim the grey foam off the surface for the first 15 minutes — a clear sorpa is the test of a good cook.

2. 2

   Long, slow simmer

   Add bay, peppercorns, and salt. Cover partially and simmer on the lowest possible heat for 2 hours until the lamb pulls from the bone. Never let it boil hard.

3. 3

   Make the dough

   While meat cooks, mound flour on a board. Crack in eggs, add water and a pinch of salt. Knead 10 minutes to a firm, smooth dough. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll and cut

   Divide dough in 4. Roll each piece paper-thin (you should almost see through it). Cut into 8 cm squares or diamonds. Dust generously with flour and spread out — they must not stick.

5. 5

   Skim and make tuzdyk

   Ladle 300 ml of the fattiest broth from the surface into a wide pan. Add sliced onions and a generous pinch of pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until onions are translucent and slick — this is tuzdyk.

6. 6

   Cook the noodles

   Lift meat onto a board and tent with foil. Bring broth back to a strong simmer. Drop noodles in batches and cook 4 minutes each — they should still have bite. Lift out with a spider.

7. 7

   Assemble the platter

   Spread the cooked noodles across a large warmed platter. Slice the lamb and kazy thinly and arrange over the noodles. Spoon the tuzdyk onions and their broth fat all over. Sprinkle with parsley.

8. 8

   Serve sorpa

   Strain the remaining broth, ladle into small bowls, and serve alongside the platter as a drinking soup. Eat the beshbarmak by hand, the sorpa by spoon.

Variations

• •

  Kyrgyz version (besh barmak) often uses beef and adds a splash of vinegar to the onions.

• •

  Festive Kazakh weddings include zhal (smoked horse-mane fat) sliced over the top.

• •

  Modern home cooks sometimes use store-bought lasagna sheets cut into squares for speed.

Storage

Best assembled fresh. Keep components separate up to 2 days; refresh noodles in hot broth for 1 minute before plating.

Frequently Asked Questions