Beshbarmak (Kyrgyz Boiled Meat with Noodles)
Local name: Бешбармак
In short: Slow-boiled beef served over wide homemade noodles with soft onions, black pepper and a bowl of hot broth. The Kyrgyz dish for honored guests. It takes about 3 h 30 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 2 h 50 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 3 h 30 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 500 kcal
Beshbarmak means five fingers, because it was traditionally eaten by hand. Kyrgyz families cook it for weddings, memorials and guests who deserve a proper welcome. Meat is boiled for hours with little more than salt and onion, then piled over broad noodles cooked in the same broth and topped with soft onions and plenty of black pepper. The broth is served separately in bowls for sipping.
Instructions
- Put the meat in a large pot, cover with the cold water and bring to a boil. Skim the foam for the first 10 minutes.
- Add the whole onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns. Lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt for the last 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and water and knead for 8 minutes into a firm dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough about 2 mm thick and cut it into diamonds or squares about 6 cm (2 1/2 in) wide. Dust with flour so they do not stick.
- Lift the meat out and keep it warm. Strain the broth, top it up with water to 2.5 litres (10 cups) and bring it back to a boil.
- Simmer the onion topping: put the sliced onions, 250 ml of hot broth, pepper and salt in a pan and cook for 10 minutes until soft but not mushy.
- Cook the noodles in the boiling broth in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a large platter.
- Slice the meat off the bones into bite-size pieces and pile it over the noodles. Top with the onions, extra black pepper and dill, and serve with bowls of hot broth.
Tips
- Horse meat is the traditional choice in Kyrgyzstan, but beef shank, lamb shoulder or mutton are far easier to find and cook the same way. Lamb needs about 1 1/2 hours.
- For a clearer broth to sip, cook the noodles in a separate pot of salted water and add them to the platter.
Questions and answers
Why is it called beshbarmak?
The name means five fingers. The dish was traditionally eaten by hand, scooping noodles and meat with the fingers of one hand.
Can I make beshbarmak ahead of time?
Cook the meat and broth up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Roll and cook the noodles fresh so they stay tender.
How is beshbarmak served?
On a large shared platter with the noodles on the bottom, meat on top and onions over everything. Hot broth is passed in bowls, and the host serves the best pieces of meat to the guests of honor.
How long does it take to make Beshbarmak (Kyrgyz Boiled Meat with Noodles)?
About 3 h 30 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 2 h 50 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Beshbarmak (Kyrgyz Boiled Meat with Noodles)?
About 500 kcal per serving, with 29 g of protein, 57 g of carbohydrates and 17 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 500 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1200 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
