Khorkhog facts for kids
Khorkhog (pronounced "hor-hog") is a special barbecue dish from Mongolia. It's made by cooking meat inside a container with very hot stones and some water. Sometimes, the container is also heated from the outside. This cooking method makes the meat super tender and flavorful.
How Khorkhog is Made
To make Khorkhog, people usually use lamb meat. Sometimes, goat meat is used instead. The meat is cut into pieces, and the bones are left attached.
First, the cook gathers about ten to twenty stones. These stones are usually about the size of a fist. They are placed over a fire until they become very hot.
Once the stones are hot enough, they are carefully put into a cooking container along with the meat. A traditional choice for the container is a metal milk jug. However, any strong container that can hold hot rocks will work.
The hot stones and the steam from the water cook the meat inside the jug. If the stones aren't hot enough, the cook might place the jug on a fire or a stove. As the meat cooks, the stones turn black. This happens because they absorb heat and fat from the lamb.
The jug stays covered while the meal cooks. The cook listens and smells the food to know when it's ready. It can take up to an hour and a half for the meat to cook completely.
When the Khorkhog is ready, the cook serves portions of meat. The hot stones are also given out. People often pass these warm stones from hand to hand. It is believed that touching the hot stones has good health benefits. Diners usually eat Khorkhog with their fingers, but knives can be used to cut the meat off the bone.
History of Khorkhog
Khorkhog is thought to be a fairly new dish, created in the 20th century. It became popular when the Soviet Union had a military presence in Mongolia. Mongolians started using old Red Army water jugs for cooking.
Khorkhog is a type of boodog. Boodog is an older Mongolian dish where meat is cooked with hot stones inside an animal skin. Khorkhog is a very popular dish in Mongolia. However, it is usually made at home or for special gatherings, not often served in restaurants.
