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Uyghur-style lamb ribs with homemade alkaline noodles

It was pissing rain (again) today. Came home midday because the office closed early. Figured I would test a cook that's been haunting me for the past week or so.

Don't know why, but I've  had a sudden hankering for lamian (hand-pulled noodles) and so started researching how to make them. Its a weird rabbit hole to dive into. Learned way more about noodle chemistry than I ever thought I would.  Uyghur friends of ours have fed us some amazing food in the past, so I knew I wanted lamb ribs in the mix. 

Started with pulling out the last of the pork stock made from the piggies some of us in TX raised a while back. Added the stock, spices, Better Than Bouillon (beef, vegetable) to the IP and let it go for a few hours. 




Then started working on the alkaline noodles... and failed. The secret ingredient that makes the dough super stretchy is "lye water" (which I found), but I just couldn't get the dough to stretch. Kneaded the fvck out of it and still no love. Damn gluten.  Settled for rolling out the dough as thin as I could, and then cut it into wide-ish noodles. 



Seasoned the lamb ribs with salt, sichuan pepper, coriander, gochugaru (Korean chile powder), and cumin.


 Seared on the egg.


Put it all together. Dressed with lime juice, chili oil, scallions (don't know why the colors look a bit jacked up)


Holy shite! This was freakin' amazing. Talk about an explosion of flavors in your mouth. As disappointed as I was with not being able to hand pull the noodles, they turned out pretty damn well - slippery, slightly chewy, and so darn good in the broth flavored with the chopped lamb ribs. This cook made me happy :)





#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
«1

Comments

  • R2Egg2Q
    R2Egg2Q Posts: 2,136
    Looks and sounds great!
    XL, Large, Small, Mini Eggs, Shirley Fabrication 24x36 Patio, Humphrey's Weekender, Karubecue C-60, MAK 1-Star General, Hasty Bake Gourmet, Santa Maria Grill, Webers: 14" WSM, 22.5" OTG, 22.5" Kettle Premium, WGA Charcoal, Summit S-620 NG

    Bay Area, CA
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    Top Freakin Notch Dude!  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • bubbajack
    bubbajack Posts: 1,088
    Bad a$$ cook! Now I am really wanting to eat.
    I drink cheap beer so I can afford good bourbon.

    Salisbury, NC...... XL,Lx3,Mx2,S, MM, Mini BGE, FireDisc x2. Blackstone 22", Offset smoker, weber kettle 22"


  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Thanks for the kind words.

    @YukonRon luckily I shopped for groceries on Wed when the weather wasn't as bad. Was nasty yesterday, and I ended up with an unexpected afternoon off. With the house (and kitchen) to myself, there wasn't much else to do :)

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Top Freakin Notch Dude!  
    Thanks! 

    Have you tried Sichuan pepper? I know you cook with a lot of Asian flavors, so you might like it. Not quite peppery, but it has a tingly, slightly numbing sort of effect on the tongue. It's a neat flavor to play with. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Wow!! Just wow! And with the weather you are having on top of it? Simply amazing.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • I hang my head in shame and self doubt. 
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    edited September 2019
    So much to comment on...
    First some friendly advice: Don’t wear black robes when you cook this... You might be accused of alchemy or magic. I’m not sure I could process some of those words through google translate. The first plate of ingredients looks like you picked them up on Diagon Alley. See an above comment “it has a tingly, slightly numbing sort of effect on the tounge” Dude, they don’t tell you that at Kroger- where you been shoppin’?

    Second, I always admire your persistence when you tackle a new challenge. Your Naan bread threads come to mind. It’s nice to not only gain new cooking skills but also to learn some new food science. Understanding why our foods cook the way they do and how to process them is entertaining in its own right. 

    And finally - just wow! The food looks delicious.

    I hope you are safe from the storms and floods. Thanks for making me feel like a slacker today. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    You made me chuckle, @SciAggie. I had 2 other things going concurrently, so the kitchen did look like something was going to explode, or already had, for some time. 

    In the past couple of years, I've become much more interested in why certain recipes work, especially ones where texture is important. The chemistry behind these noodles is interesting, and I'm definitely going to play around with it some more. The goal is to figure out how to make hand pulled noodles (lamian) in the next couple of weeks.

    The storm seems to have moved east, so things are clearing up. Some flooding Houston, but its much worse east of the city. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    I'm just in awe.  Never HEARD of this, don't have a clue about what it's like, but WOW, just way too cool!

    I just watched a YouTube video of some guy making lamian noodles (again, I'd never heard of them before!), and it was amazing.  Just amazing.  He seemed to be repeatedly stretching the dough, not just kneading it, the whole time, over and over again.  Stretch, fold, stretch, fold, stretch, fold, repeat x 1 million.  FINALLY, after resting them for a while, like MAGIC he stretched them into fine noodles.  Just in awe.

    Thanks for sharing this concept, and even if the noodles didn't work out the way you hoped, the lamb and the whole dish look and sound AMAZING.  Just so cool I can't see straight.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Everyone was talking about you struggling with the weather, I finally noticed you live in Houston!  I thought you were in California (don't know where I got that idea  =)).  
    I make homemade noodles often, but through the KitchenAid roller attachment, have never tried hand-stretched.  Hat's Off!  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • smokingal
    smokingal Posts: 1,025
    Top notch cooking, @caliking.  Top notch indeed.
    It's "Smokin Gal", not "Smoking Al".
    Egging in the Atlanta GA region
    Large BGE, CGS setup, Kick Ash Basket, Smokeware SS Cap,
    Arteflame grill grate

    http://barbecueaddict.com
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    @Botch the moniker stuck from college, as I'm from Calcutta (now Kolkata).

    I almost pulled out the KA roller, but it was just easier to roll the dough out and cut. I may try that though.

    Apparently, Italians make alkaline pasta too, but I can't recall ever seeing a recipe anywhere.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Theophan said:
    I'm just in awe.  Never HEARD of this, don't have a clue about what it's like, but WOW, just way too cool!

    I just watched a YouTube video of some guy making lamian noodles (again, I'd never heard of them before!), and it was amazing.  Just amazing.  He seemed to be repeatedly stretching the dough, not just kneading it, the whole time, over and over again.  Stretch, fold, stretch, fold, stretch, fold, repeat x 1 million.  FINALLY, after resting them for a while, like MAGIC he stretched them into fine noodles.  Just in awe.

    Thanks for sharing this concept, and even if the noodles didn't work out the way you hoped, the lamb and the whole dish look and sound AMAZING.  Just so cool I can't see straight.
    I've watched MANY of those videos! I think they are ubercool as well. The experts can make thin noodles within minutes, without even one broken noodle. 

    The key seems to be that the alkali breaks down the gluten, which makes the dough super stretchy. The problem is that I can't find precise ratios for alkali:water:flour, so I'll just have to figure it out by trial and error.  Many recipes online call for cake flour, but that's sort of cheating. Having said that, I bought cake flour so i could try some of those recipes too. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    caliking said:
    Theophan said:
    I just watched a YouTube video of some guy making lamian noodles (again, I'd never heard of them before!), and it was amazing.  Just amazing.  He seemed to be repeatedly stretching the dough, not just kneading it, the whole time, over and over again.  Stretch, fold, stretch, fold, stretch, fold, repeat x 1 million.  FINALLY, after resting them for a while, like MAGIC he stretched them into fine noodles.  Just in awe.
    I've watched MANY of those videos! I think they are ubercool as well. The experts can make thin noodles within minutes, without even one broken noodle. 
    Well, you two just pushed me down a rabbit hole on a rainy afternoon!  
     
    I could've swore they did stretched noodles on America's Test Kitchen, but a separate video isn't on EweTube (or, at least, not in the top 75 or so).  
    This looks like fun, and I've added it to the list.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    edited September 2019
    Botch said:
    caliking said:
    Theophan said:
    I just watched a YouTube video of some guy making lamian noodles (again, I'd never heard of them before!), and it was amazing.  Just amazing.  He seemed to be repeatedly stretching the dough, not just kneading it, the whole time, over and over again.  Stretch, fold, stretch, fold, stretch, fold, repeat x 1 million.  FINALLY, after resting them for a while, like MAGIC he stretched them into fine noodles.  Just in awe.
    I've watched MANY of those videos! I think they are ubercool as well. The experts can make thin noodles within minutes, without even one broken noodle. 
    Well, you two just pushed me down a rabbit hole on a rainy afternoon!  
     
    I could've swore they did stretched noodles on America's Test Kitchen, but a separate video isn't on EweTube (or, at least, not in the top 75 or so).  
    This looks like fun, and I've added it to the list.  
    You're welcome =)



    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,458
    I'm from Calcutta too, damn, you make me feel like Calipauper  :)
    We saw a pulled noodle demo on a cruise ship, just insane. Need a video next time you try it! Now you know why I was intimidated to cook when you visited, haha. btw, glad you didn't post this in the 'What are you doing right now?' thread because I'm only "11k new" behind, lol! Also glad you all are safe.
    canuckland
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
    damn that looks delicious.
    hand pulled noodles are black magic.
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
  • TTC
    TTC Posts: 1,035
    We’re not worthy!!!!!
    XL BGE, Blackstone, Roccbox, Weber Gasser, Brown Water, Cigars --  Gallatin, TN

    2001 Mastercraft Maristar 230 VRS

    Ikon pass 

    Colorado in the winter and the Lake in the Summer
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    That looks and sounds amazing. Wow!
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
    blind99 said:

    hand pulled noodles are black magic.
    @caliking See? There’s that magic reference again...
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
  • Awesome!
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    I'm from Calcutta too, damn, you make me feel like Calipauper  :)
    We saw a pulled noodle demo on a cruise ship, just insane. Need a video next time you try it! Now you know why I was intimidated to cook when you visited, haha. btw, glad you didn't post this in the 'What are you doing right now?' thread because I'm only "11k new" behind, lol! Also glad you all are safe.
     Thanks for the praise, Gary but I'm fairly certain that you've forgotten more about cooking and BBQ than what I can remember :)

    We are doing fine here. More rain today, but not what it's been like in the past few days.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    caliking said:
    ... The key seems to be that the alkali breaks down the gluten, which makes the dough super stretchy...
    I know NOTHING about this, so why am I presuming to say ANYTHING, but fools rush in...  Are you sure you don't have that backward?  The guy in the video seemed to be doing everything that you would normally expect to DEVELOP gluten, not get rid of it!  I would have thought that gluten would hold long, stretching strands together, and that without gluten, instead of stretching, they'd just break.  And I noticed that they used all-purpose flour.  If they'd wanted low-gluten surely they would have used cake flour.

    Again, you clearly know more about this than I do, cuz I know NOTHING about this kind of noodles.  Just asking.
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    caliking said:
    Top Freakin Notch Dude!  
    Thanks! 

    Have you tried Sichuan pepper? I know you cook with a lot of Asian flavors, so you might like it. Not quite peppery, but it has a tingly, slightly numbing sort of effect on the tongue. It's a neat flavor to play with. 

    caliking said:
    Top Freakin Notch Dude!  
    Thanks! 

    Have you tried Sichuan pepper? I know you cook with a lot of Asian flavors, so you might like it. Not quite peppery, but it has a tingly, slightly numbing sort of effect on the tongue. It's a neat flavor to play with. 


    Will definitely check it out.  Thanks for the tip 

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    @Theophan by Jove, I think you've got it!

    I'm only a few days ahead of you re: researching how to make these noodles. Different online sources have conflicting suppositions. One source that is often referred to is http://www.lukerymarz.com/noodles/ and he (like many others) takes a low gluten approach, using cake flour. Which conflicts with the idea that you need more, well developed gluten in the dough. Watched enough youtube videos to end up with a half-baked idea of what was needed, I guess :)

    I had seen this video earlier, but did not pay close enough attention the first time I watched it. Went back and watched it carefully, and yes, it seems that the goal is stronger gluten. I thought the alkali breaks down gluten, but it in fact stregthens gluten. The paper he cites at about 5:00 was helpful in understanding this. 

    https://youtu.be/FAzonLpYhRA

    I'm experimenting some more with this today. Thank you for the course correction!


    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    ^^^ Ironically that's one of the videos I watched, and he reads off the total weight of protein in the three bags, not necessarily the percentages.  The first two bags (next to each other in his local grocery) were probably the same size, but the bag in the chinese market looked a bit smaller, so even at 11 grams it probably had a higher percentage of protein/gluten.  I dunno.  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Botch said:
    ^^^ Ironically that's one of the videos I watched, and he reads off the total weight of protein in the three bags, not necessarily the percentages.  The first two bags (next to each other in his local grocery) were probably the same size, but the bag in the chinese market looked a bit smaller, so even at 11 grams it probably had a higher percentage of protein/gluten.  I dunno.  
    I watched the video (again!) and the protein weight is stated per 100g for all the flours he mentions, assuming that all of the protein comes from the gluten in the flour. 

    1st German flour= 12%
    2nd German flour= 12%
    Chinese flour= 11%
    "Special" Chinese flour= 10%

     KAF AP flour states on the bag that its 11.7% protein, but if you look at the nutrition facts label it calculates as 13.3%. 

    KAF unbleached cake flour is stated to be 10% protein according to their website, but calculates as 12.5% per the label on the bag. Pillsbury Softasilk cake flour is 9.4% per the label.

    These seem like minor differences in protein content.  I thought cake flour was much lower, about 5%, but apparently not. Still, it may be worthwhile to try the cake flour with alkali to make a dough that has lower, but stronger gluten. 

    Thanks for pointing this out. I previously thought using cake flour would be a shortcut/workaround, but maybe its not. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    caliking said:
    ... Different online sources have conflicting suppositions... yes, it seems that the goal is stronger gluten. I thought the alkali breaks down gluten, but it in fact strengthens gluten...
    That video was really good!  The guy seemed to have a great attitude and was fun to watch.  He seems to be assuming, though, that "increased gluten strength" only affects the texture of the final product, the chewiness, and only the salt affects the ability to stretch it.  I don't think this is possible.  Again, that long, long process seems perfectly designed to develop gluten!  If they wanted low gluten, they'd have rested it over and over again, and NOT kept working it, working it, working it like that.  I think you're right: Even cake flour has a fair bit of gluten in it, and if you work it and work it like that, you're going to be developing what gluten is in it like crazy.  I think a flour with NO gluten would break, NOT stretch!

    I also don't know if he was getting the full effect of the alkali by mixing it in only after the dough was made.  I don't know whether it mixed in as thoroughly, and had the ability to affect all of the gluten the same way.  It would have been interesting if he'd begun from scratch with no alkali and then began from scratch again with alkali.

    But again, I'm just being an armchair general, what do I know.

    THANK you again for turning me on to the existence of this kind of noodle.  It's just fascinating!  Almost makes me want to give it a try, but I'm so lazy I probably won't.  I'll sure be interested to hear how you progress, though!