Xi’an burger (rou jia mo)

These spicy burgers originated on the streets of Xi’an, a city in north-west China. They are stuffed full of slow-cooked lamb heavily spiced with cumin and an abundance of fiery chillies.

Credit: Brett Stevens

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  4:40 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 kg lamb leg, bone in
• 1.5 litre beef stock, hot
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 spring onions
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 3 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (see Note)
• 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 jalapeños, sliced
• 6 small pita pockets
• pickled green chilli, sliced red chillies and chilli sauce, to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160ºC. Heat oil in a pan over medium–high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper then cook, turning, for 8 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a roasting pan with stock, onion, spring onions, 1 tablespoon of cumin, Sichuan peppercorns and chilli flakes. Cover with foil and place in oven. Roast for 4 hours or until very tender.

Remove lamb and transfer stock to a wide saucepan. Place over high heat and simmer rapidly for 25 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters. Meanwhile, remove meat from bone and finely shred. Return meat to pan and stir through remaining 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds and jalapeños until warmed through. Season if necessary. Stuff mixture into pitas and serve with chillies and chilli sauce.

Note

• Sichuan peppercorns are available from select delis and Asian food shops.

Photography by Brett Stevens. Styling by Kirsten Jenkins. 

As seen in Feast magazine, June 2014, Issue 32.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.