The goat’s backbone is the largest rib of the goat, the part of the goat that most resembles a scorpion. In winter, it is necessary to take nourishing lamb to strengthen the body, and spicy goat’s backbone is a dish with a strong flavor. The meat of the goat’s backbone is tender and very suitable for eating, there are many steps to the cooking process, so a certain level of cooking skills is required.

1. Cut the goat’s backbone into pieces, wash it, and soak the goat’s backbone in clean water to remove blood, change the water in the middle; boil the soaked goat’s backbone with cold water over high heat; continue to boil, skim the foam continuously until the water surface is completely clean; add scallions, ginger, dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, tangerine peel, star anise, and cumin seeds; add cooking wine, soy sauce, and a little sugar, bring to a boil, then turn to medium heat and slow-cook; simmer until the lamb can be pierced with a chopstick, reduce the heat and continue to slow-cook for half an hour; add salt for seasoning before serving, sprinkle with coriander; the soup can be used to boil vegetables and tofu, etc.

2. Soak the goat’s backbone in clean water to remove blood. Then, put cold water, scallion slices, and ginger slices in the pot, remove the goat’s backbone and drain for later use. Boil the goat’s backbone with cooking wine over high heat to remove blood foam. Add about a spoonful of spicy base sauce, coat the pot. Use it in batches. Stir-fry the goat’s backbone with the sauce, add soy sauce, cooking wine, and add rock sugar to the pot. Mix the spices and put them in a spice bag. Put the spice bag into the pot, then add enough hot water, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, cover the lid, and simmer for about 2 hours until the meat is tender.

3. Nutrition

Lamb has a sweet taste without greasiness and a warm nature without dryness. It has the effects of tonifying the kidney and strengthening Yang, warming the middle and expelling cold, warming the Qi and blood, and invigorating the spleen and stomach. Therefore, eating lamb in winter can not only resist the cold and wind but also nourish the body, which is truly a win-win situation. Hence, traditional Chinese medicine has the saying ‘Ginseng tonifies Qi, and lamb tonifies the body’, which is very beneficial for improving the quality of the human body and its ability to resist diseases.