Tuh'u

Ingredients

• 450 g lamb leg meat, diced
• 4 tbsp sesame oil, olive oil, or rendered fat
• 350 mL prepared water
• 350 mL sour-tasting beer (e.g. Weißbier)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups arugula, chopped
• ¾ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed or powdered
• 2 large beetroots, chopped
• 1 leek, minced or diced
• 3-9 cloves garlic cloves, minced or diced
• 1 Persian shallot
• 1 Egyptian leek
• coriander seeds for garnish

Method

Use a cast-iron pot or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. The thermal mass matters — you need sustained, even heat to properly sear|searing the lamb and hold a gentle simmer later. Heat the pot over high heat for two minutes before adding oil. When a thin wisp of smoke rises from the fat surface, add the lamb in a single layer. Don't stir for three minutes. The meat needs contact with the hot metal to develop a brown crust through the Maillard reaction; moving it around prevents caramelisation and releases steam. Stir once, then leave it another two to three minutes until most pieces have colour. The goal is deep brown on the exterior, not grey throughout.

Remove the lamb and reduce heat to medium-high. Add the chopped onion directly to the remaining fat and oil — the fond (browned meat residue) will release into it within thirty seconds of scraping. Cook for four minutes until the onion starts to soften and turn translucent at the edges. Add the beetroots, cumin seeds (crushed rather than powdered; they'll bloom better and give you distinct flavour bursts), and the shallot. Stir for two minutes — the heat will toast the cumin slightly and sharpen its earthiness. Pour in the water and sour beer (the acidity cuts through the richness of the lamb and beetroot; a Weißbier or Berliner Weisse works best because the wheat and fermentation add subtle sweetness). Return the lamb to the pot.

Bring to a rolling simmer, skimming any grey foam that surfaces in the first minute — this is denatured protein and blood, and it clouds the broth. Once clear, drop the heat to low-medium and maintain a bare simmer, with occasional bubbles breaking the surface. At this point add the leek, minced garlic, arugula, and cilantro. Simmer uncovered for fifty-five to sixty minutes. Check the beetroot at fifty minutes by piercing a chunk with a knife point; it should yield with no resistance. The lamb should shred easily between two forks. Taste, and adjust salt.

Finish by toasting the coriander seeds lightly in a dry pan (ten seconds, no more) to crack their essential oils. Serve the tuh'u in deep bowls and scatter the coriander seeds and fresh cilantro across the surface. A few slivers of raw leek add textural contrast if the dish has lost its bite.