Peking Mutton/Lamb in Sesame Paste (Zhi Ma Jiang Yang Rou / 芝麻酱羊肉)

Ingredients

• 600 g boneless lamb leg or shoulder, in one piece
• 1.5 litres cold water, for poaching
• For the sesame paste sauce
• 60 g Chinese white sesame paste, not Middle Eastern tahini
• 60 ml lamb poaching broth, cooled; used to thin the paste
• 2 tbsp Zhenjiang dark vinegar
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp chilli oil, or to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced to a paste
• To serve
• 1 cucumber, cut into fine julienne

Method

1. 1
   Place the lamb in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, skimming any foam that rises. Reduce to a low simmer and poach the lamb gently until just cooked through — the meat offers no resistance when pierced at its thickest point with a skewer, and the juices run clear.
2. 2
   Lift the lamb immediately into a bowl of cold water and leave until fully cooled. Reserve 60 ml of the poaching broth and set aside. Once cold, transfer the lamb to the refrigerator until firm enough to slice.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies: slice the chilled lamb across the grain as thinly as possible — shaved, not carved. Each slice should be translucent at the edges and yield without tearing. Thick slices will hold no sauce and destroy the presentation.
4. 4
   Thin the sesame paste with the cooled lamb broth, stirring steadily until it reaches a pourable, coating consistency. Add the Zhenjiang vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil, and minced garlic. Stir to combine. Taste: the sauce must be rich from the paste but lifted by clear acidity from the vinegar — neither element should be buried.
5. 5
   Arrange the cucumber julienne on a serving plate. Lay the sliced lamb over and across it. Spoon the sesame sauce evenly over the lamb. The surface should be glossy and fully coated, the cucumber just visible at the edges.