Khorkhog

About This Recipe

Khorkhog is Mongolia's most celebrated dish and perhaps the world's most unusual cooking method: chunks of lamb or goat are cooked together with red-hot river stones inside a sealed metal milk churn or pressure-vessel pot. The searing stones heat from inside, cooking the meat in its own juices while creating intense steam pressure. The result is extraordinarily tender, smoky, juicy lamb that cannot be replicated by any other cooking method. Khorkhog is prepared for the most special occasions — Naadam festival, family celebrations, welcoming important guests — and the passing of the hot stones between guests at the end of the meal is said to bring health and good luck. For home cooking without river stones, a pressure cooker replicates the effect remarkably well.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbone-in lamb shoulder(cut into large chunks)
• 3 mediumpotatoes(quartered)
• 2 mediumcarrots(cut into large chunks)
• 1 largeonion(cut into wedges)
• 4 clovesgarlic(whole)
• 200 mlwater
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the lamb

   Season lamb chunks generously with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Layer in pressure cooker

   Place onion and garlic at the bottom of a pressure cooker. Add lamb pieces, then potatoes and carrots. Pour in water. Do not stir — layering is important.

   In traditional khorkhog, the hot stones go in between the meat layers. In a pressure cooker, the high-pressure steam replicates this effect perfectly.

3. 3

   Pressure cook

   Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, seal tightly in a heavy casserole and cook in a 200°C oven for 2 hours.)

4. 4

   Release and rest

   Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully open. The meat should be falling off the bone. Rest uncovered for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve the lamb and vegetables with the rich cooking juices spooned over. Serve with Mongolian dairy products (airag or tarag) if available, or simply with flatbread and salt.

Variations

• •

  Use goat instead of lamb for the traditional version.

• •

  Add wild garlic and fresh dill for a more herbal version.

• •

  Include dried fruit (raisins or apricots) for a sweeter, festive variation.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerates beautifully for 3 days. The lamb becomes even more tender overnight. Reheat gently in the pot.

Frequently Asked Questions