Roast whole sheep is the traditional food of the Tang Dynasty, it was already a household name when the Tang Dynasty just opened the country, and the source of this delicacy is naturally the grassland people in the north, the people on the grassland, the best means of livelihood is to herd sheep, the climate and natural characteristics of the grassland, that is, suitable for herding sheep, the nature of cattle and horses will not be less, but sheep is the most one, because sheep is the simplest and easiest to herd, and mutton is more delicious.

The relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the grassland peoples in the north is relatively close, many Tang nobles, in fact, have the blood of ethnic minorities, the royal family and many nobles are like this, many surnames seem to be no different from the Central Plains, but they are the descendants of the Xianbei Xiongnu and other ethnic groups, but because they are almost the same, it is also difficult to distinguish, and they are slowly completely assimilated.

But some of the living habits of the grassland peoples have been well preserved, such as the delicacy of roasting whole sheep, which was originally a favorite delicacy of the northern ethnic minorities, but at this time, the people of the Tang Dynasty also like to eat this food, which can be regarded as a kind of reverse assimilation, or in other words, the common people of the northern Tang Dynasty at this time, which are the descendants of ethnic minorities, and which are not, no one can say, because the intermarriage of different ethnic groups is too common, and in the end, everyone's blood is almost the same, and it has become a family.

After hundreds of years of integration, the distinctive living habits of various ethnic groups have been preserved, and the same is true in the field of food, the various dishes of the Central Plains have feasted the ethnic minorities in the north, and similarly, the roasted whole sheep and other foods of the ethnic minorities in the north have also won the great recognition of the Central Plains people, everyone likes each other, and slowly the living habits are all fused together, and everyone has become a family.

It's just that the condiments were incomplete before, and the taste of Datang roasted whole sheep was slightly lacking, but Ang Lee made a batch of fresh condiments and used more perfect means, so that the taste of roasted whole sheep became much better than before, which made people salivate when they smelled it.

"How's it going, how does it taste?"

Li An looked at the two little girls and asked.

"My brother's cooking is really delicious, even better than what the imperial chef in the palace makes."

Ning'er replied in approval.

When Li Yu heard this, he said sourly: "It's really a pity that Li Shilang doesn't be the imperial chef, many of the imperial chefs in the palace want to apprentice?" ”

"I want to teach, but I don't have much free time! The Wanli Transsion plan is very difficult, it takes a lot of energy, don't look at me now I am very relaxed, but every time I go to research, I have a splitting headache! ”

Li An said lightly.

"Haha! I almost believed it. ”

"Why, King Guangping doesn't believe it, this research is really tiring."

Ang Lee continued to explain.

"Okay, this king believes it, don't talk about these boring things, let's talk about roasting whole sheep! Lamb is fine, too! ”

Li Yu said with a smile.

"This roasted whole lamb! Lamb ......"

Ang Lee began to talk eloquently, first explaining the technical points of roasting whole sheep, and then began to analyze the mutton from beginning to end.

Mutton is one of the favorite delicacies of human beings, whether it is the royal nobles or the ordinary poor people, they like to eat mutton very much, and mutton is also divided into types and parts.

Ordinary people know the most mutton, there are goat meat, and sheep meat, which belongs to the general direction of classification, and there are too many specific classification varieties, and they are too many to count.

Generally speaking, the smell of goat meat is heavier, for example, yellow sheep belongs to the goat category, the smell is very heavy, and there need to be enough condiments to remove this terrible smell, while Mianyang meat is more delicate and more delicious.

However, the number of holdings in Datang Mianyang is relatively small, most of them are goats, which is very regrettable, because sheep are not only more delicious and delicious, but also can produce a large amount of wool, which can be used to make sweaters, quilts and other warm supplies.

In the whole Tang Dynasty, the distribution of sheep is mainly only a few places, and there are not many varieties, such as the lowland sheep in Shandong, which mainly live in the delta piled up at the mouth of the Yellow River, which can be used to produce wool and provide meat, which is a local treasure.

In the area of Anxi and Tubo, there are a large number of Tibetan sheep, which is the most widely distributed and most numerous sheep in the Tang Dynasty, because this piece of land is very large, and it is also very suitable for grazing, and the habit of this kind of sheep is to like cold and drought, tolerate high cold, drought is very easy to survive, and can survive under extremely difficult conditions.

In the southern part of Datang and the Nanzhao area, there is also a kind of black-bone sheep, which is also a very good sheep species, which can be called the world's only local rare species resources. This kind of black-boned sheep, the hair of the whole body is jet black, its eyes, mouth, gums and tongue are also black, therefore, the melanin content in this sheep meat is much higher than that of ordinary mutton, and melanin has the effect of eliminating free radicals in the body, antioxidant, lowering blood lipids, anti-tumor, beauty and invigorating qi and kidneys.

There is also a kind of Xiongnu sheep, living in the northern part of the Tang Dynasty, with a strong physique, strong adaptability, able to withstand extremely extensive feeding and management conditions, due to the slightly different distribution areas, the shape and performance are quite different, the general ram has spiral horns, the ewes have no horns, the ears are large and drooping, the nose bridge is raised, the physique is medium, and the short fat tail is also a treasure of the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, there are some sheep species that are less numerous, but because they are too small, they are not taken seriously.

The best taste of mutton, in addition to the difference in breeds, but also related to the living environment of the sheep itself, the best sheep, naturally from the prairie with abundant water and grass, in summer, when you hurriedly go to the northern grassland to escape the summer, you see a group of white elves on the clean grassland, walking on the green grass foraging, the grass here, there are many kinds, the river water is clear, the air is fresh, away from pollution and haze, the taste of mutton is naturally more delicious.

Finally, different parts of the sheep's body taste different, there will be different recipes, and each part is a delicacy.

First of all, let's talk about lamb neck, commonly known as lamb neck, is a muscular, fat and thin, dry meat, a good piece of meat with fine tendons, can be chopped for soup, is a very good tonic, especially with white radish, corn and other auxiliary dishes together, the effect is better.

The meat of the lamb shoulder is made up of two pieces of meat that cross each other, the fiber is fine, the taste is smooth, it is very suitable for barbecue stew, it can also be used to make teppanyaki, with a little carrot and other side dishes, the taste is more delicious, especially on the hot iron plate for a while, the outside is charred and the inside is tender, not greasy at all.

The upper brain meat is also a very good piece of mutton, the meat quality is the most tender part of the whole sheep, the upper brain fat is evenly mixed, there is obvious marbling, it is very suitable for shabu to eat, hot pot shabu mutton is how it comes.

Rib meat, commonly known as lamb chops, is the mutton part that people often buy, this part is made of ribs connected to the rib meat, fat and thin are sandwiched with each other without tendons, covered with a layer of film, fat and thin combined, the fatter the more tender, the fat coverage rate is good, the texture is soft, tender and juicy, rich in protein and amino acids.

And this part of the meat, no matter how you eat it, is delicious, shabu-shabu, grilled, stir-fried, fried, roasted, stewed, teppanyaki, etc., can make an excellent delicacy. Grilled lamb chops are one of the best delicacies that will make people salivate at the sight.

Brisket refers to the meat on both sides of the cartilage of the front chest, which is as thin and long as the belt, covered with a certain amount of fat, and is fat but not greasy after cooking, and can be used for burning, stewing, and steaming.

The lamb on the back is divided into outer loin, inner loin, and fibular spine, and the outer loin is located on the outside of the backbone, which is long and as long as a flat bar, commonly known as flat spine meat. There is a layer of belt tendons on the outside, the fibers are oblique, the muscles are delicate, the meat is tender and juicy, it is the best part of the lamb, because the meat yield is too small, it is particularly valuable, and it is suitable for grilling whole or cutting into cubes.

Tenderloin is a small strip of meat close to the back of the backbone, because it resembles a bamboo shoot, the fiber is slender, also known as bamboo shoot mutton, the muscle fiber is rich and slender, tender and juicy, and the meat is delicate, it is the two most tender lean meat on the whole sheep, the lamb tenderloin has a high protein content, and the fat content is low, so it tastes delicious and is loved, and has always been a raw material for Chinese food stir-frying, as a barbecue raw material, the taste will be better, such as stir-fried lamb tenderloin, lamb skewers, and roast lamb tenderloin.

The rib rib is the meat that connects the ribs and the backbone, the fat and the thin are sandwiched without tendons, covered with layers of film, the fat and the thin are combined, the fatter the more tender, the fat coverage is good, the texture is soft, tender and juicy, rich in protein and amino acids, and there are many methods, such as roast lamb loin.

Lamb belly is the meaning of lamb's belly, is the meat of the sheep's viscera stomach, the meat quality is slightly tough, the taste is fat and mellow, suitable for stewing, red stew, as long as the cooking skills are good, the dish made is definitely delicious.

Not to mention, the leg of mutton is the favorite part of the mutton for many people, during the New Year, there are many people who buy a whole leg of mutton in order to save trouble, and after going back, there is no need to worry about eating meat during the whole New Year, there are many ways to make the leg of mutton, and the barbecue and stewing are good.

Lamb shank meat is also a good piece of meat, this piece of meat is located in the lower part of the lamb's knee, the meat is sandwiched with tendons, the meat is tough, the muscle fiber is very short, warm and replenish the spleen and stomach, ancient medicine believes that mutton tendon meat is to help Yuan Yang, replenish sperm and blood, treat lung deficiency, benefit strain, is an excellent warm and strong agent.

Li An said so much in one breath, Li Yu and the others ate meat while listening, and as a result, Li An ate the least, but the biggest good dishes are still to come, Li An eats less at the moment, and he will be able to eat more and better deliciousness later.

"Don't just eat roast mutton, drink some soup!"

Li An took a bowl of sheep testicle soup and drank it gently, and Li Yu saw this and also served a bowl.

"Ning'er, Yi'er, you can't eat this, this is not what you should eat, a pot of lamb chop soup next to it is the most suitable for you, drinking it can make you more beautiful."

Li An said.

"Why? How much more is this? Brother and Brother Wang can't finish drinking! ”

Ning Er asked casually.

"If you don't understand, don't ask, drink your lamb chop soup."

Li Yu opened his mouth and reprimanded.

Seeing this, Ning'er and Yi'er had to drink mutton chop soup, but the taste was not much different.

In fact, there will be no problem for women to drink sheep testicle soup, and the big tonic is just to replenish the body, and nothing bad will happen, but people in this era will think so, in case of a bad situation, wouldn't it be troublesome, so this kind of aphrodisiac ingredients should not be given to women to drink, and it can be regarded as respecting this era.

"I can't finish the soup, let's eat more slices of meat!"

Li An said.

"I'm afraid I'll eat too much, I can't stand the pearl tonight, hahaha!"

Li Yu laughed.

"Oh, if you have to eat too much, the princess can't stand it!"

Ang Lee said teasingly.

“……”

Li Yu was speechless when he heard the black line on his face, although this is all a joke, but it is indeed a bit embarrassing, but fortunately, their relationship is relatively good, and they will not worry too much about each other.

Because the food is too rich, you have to eat at least a little of everything, so a pot of sheep testicle soup is naturally not finished, in addition, there is a pot of boiled sheep eggs are still in the process of making, it is even more inexhaustible, and these guards who came with them will be blessed, everyone can get a mouthful of soup, and the extra various good dishes will soon be eaten by the guards.

"I'm already full, and there's still one dish that hasn't been cooked? I really should have saved my stomach. ”

Li Yu looked at the boiled sheep eggs and said.

"It's okay, after the meeting is ready, if you can't eat it, then take it back and warm it up at night before drinking, so that the effect will be better."

Ang Lee said with a smile.

"Good idea, that's the only way to do it."

Li Yu smiled knowingly.

After everyone has eaten and drunk, the snow not only does not stop at all, but it is getting bigger and bigger, however, because it is daylight, the light has not changed much, the field of vision is still very open, and even very bright, after all, the snow is white, the ability to reflect the light is still very strong, even at night, only a small amount of moonlight is needed, the environment can be quite bright, at least, it is not a problem to go out and walk.

After the mutton soup was cooked, Li An put the cut sheep whip in, and then put the two whole sheep eggs in it, so that it only needs to be boiled for a while, and this dish can be out of the pot, although Li An and Li Yu no longer have a stomach to fit it, but it is still very good to take it back for dinner, Li An plans not to do it at all, give all this dish to Li Yu, and let him make up for it.

In the afternoon, everyone still skied and hunted, but the guards received a special hunting task in the afternoon, and they were only allowed to capture the prey alive and not kill the prey.