P
Chinese · Beijing
Peking Mutton/Lamb in Sesame Paste (Zhi Ma Jiang Yang Rou / 芝麻酱羊肉)
Cold appetiser of thinly sliced boiled lamb dressed in a sesame paste sauce with dark vinegar, garlic, chilli oil, and soy. A refreshing summer preparation that showcases the Northern Chinese love of sesame-lamb pairing. Different from shuan yang rou (hot pot version) — this is cold and served as a starter.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
600 g
boneless lamb leg or shoulder
in one piece
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1.5 litres
cold water
for poaching
Your own market
For the sesame paste sauce
60 g
Chinese white sesame paste
not Middle Eastern tahini
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
lamb poaching broth
cooled; used to thin the paste
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
Zhenjiang dark vinegar
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
light soy sauce
1 tbsp
sesame oil
Your own market
2 tsp
chilli oil
or to taste
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
3
garlic cloves
finely minced to a paste
Your own market
To serve
1
cucumber
cut into fine julienne
Your own market
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
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
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
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
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
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.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Milk-fed or salt-marsh lamb leg, poached in unsalted water to preserve its delicacy; house-made chilli oil; aged Zhenjiang vinegar from Jiangsu.
02
Estate — Good-quality bone-in lamb leg, deboned at home; Chinese white sesame paste from a specialist grocer; proper Zhenjiang vinegar.
03
Market — Supermarket boneless lamb leg; Chinese sesame paste sourced from an Asian supermarket; commercially bottled chilli oil.
04
House — Any mild lamb cut; sesame paste substituted cautiously with a blend of toasted sesame seeds ground with a neutral oil — never peanut butter; rice vinegar if Zhenjiang is unavailable.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Skewer meets no resistance at the thickest point of the lamb and withdraws cleanly — the meat is cooked through but not collapsing.
◇Touch. After chilling, the lamb feels firm and dense under the fingertip — it will hold a clean, thin slice without tearing.
◇Sight. Slices are shaved-thin, nearly translucent at the edges, uniform across the grain.
◇Smell. The finished plate carries the toasty warmth of sesame with the sharp lift of vinegar — no dominant raw-garlic pungency.
◇Where it lives or dies. The lamb must be sliced across the grain to a near-translucent thinness after chilling — thick slices hold no sauce and collapse the dish.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance