Tender fragrant lamb tossed with a ton of aromatics and a bold spice mixture of freshly ground cumin seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili peppers! After the prep work, the cooking of this dish comes together in no time! This recipe has both the sweet nutty flavor of ground cumin and the pungent sharp flavor of freshly ground whole cumin seeds. Oh, by the way, you can easily substitute out the protein if you’re not a lamb lover (with beef or chicken). You can find lamb leg at your local Trader Joes or Whole Foods markets!
Recipe:
1. Spice Mixture: In a dry skillet, toast 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds and 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional) over medium heat, until fragrant (about 2 min). Transfer to a mortar & pestle and crush lightly (do NOT finely grind to a powder). Add in 1 tsp chili flakes and mix.
2. Prep: Peel and cut 1 large white onion into ½” cubes. Finely chop 1 cm ginger and 3 cloves garlic. Cut 1 bunch of green onions into 2” length. Pat dry and cut 1 lb leg of lamb into ½” cubes. Coarsely chop 1 bunch of cilantro.
3. In a bowl, marinate the lamb cubes in 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing (or Sherry) wine, 2 tsp cumin powder, ½ tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for 1 hour.
4. Before cooking the lamb, drain and pat dry. Lightly coat meat w/ 3 tbsp corn starch and shake off excess (this will seal in the juices and keep meat tender).
5. Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a pan/skillet over medium high heat. Cook lamb pieces 3-4 minutes (or until golden brown but still slightly pink inside). Transfer lamb to a plate.
6. To the remaining oil, add the onion, green onion, garlic, ginger, and 3-4 whole dried chili peppers (Chinese/Korean) and cook for about 3-4 min (until onions are softened, slightly browned). Add the lamb back into the pan. Turn heat to low, add spice mixture, and stir to coat completely, for an additional 1 min. Turn off heat.
7. Stir in the cilantro for a few seconds, right before serving.
