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Mouthwatering lamb dishes by legendary diners
Yoyoâs fried lamb
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Yoyo's fried lamb.
Bango soy sauce brand managed to coerce secret lamb recipes from four legendary street stalls in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, to share with those wanting to show off the perfect lamb dishes at home.
The four selected recipes were gorengan kambing (lamb stew cooked in a big wok) a la H. Yoyo, sate kambing (lamb satay) a la H. Sadjim, iga bakar kambing (grilled lamb ribs) a la Si Jangkung and nasi goreng kambing (lamb fried rice) a la Pedurenan.
'We went to their kitchens and carefully looked at every ingredient they used as well as the techniques needed for such perfect dishes.
'Based on the popularity of each establishment, the dish's uniqueness and the use of goat, we eventually picked the four best recipes,' said Bango senior brand manager Marieska Widhiana.
From the meat of four-month-old goats to offal, The Jakarta Post looks into stories behind the recipes and breaks down the secret formulas.
Gorengan Kambing a la H. Yoyo
Established in 1952, the H. Yoyo diner, located on Jl. Karet Pedurenan in Kuningan, South Jakarta, did not even have Betawi lamb stew on the menu when it was first opened by Kokom's grandfather Yoyo.
'It was my mother's idea to include lamb stew on the menu. At the time, she realized there was no diner serving the dish,' she said, adding that the name for the dish, gorengan kambing, means fried lamb.
Many would think the dish was crisp and dry while, in fact, gorengan kambing was a sort of 'hybrid' stew that included savory curry soup ingredients mixed with sweet stew. 'It has a lot of gravy,' Kokom says.
The diner has a tried and way to ensure the lamb is tender. First, the raw meat must be cleaned thoroughly. 'Besides goat, we also use offal, such as tripe, but we only serve the clean and bright pieces. We don't include black tripe.'
The meat and offal are tipped into boiling water along with bay leaves and lemongrass ' which tenderize the meat and gets rid of the smell ' this is simmered for about one hour. The water will create unsightly foam on top of the pot during the cooking process, this must be skimmed off.
'Back in our kitchen, we use firewood and a huge wok to cook the stew. The firewood gives the stew a special aroma and the wok ensures we can cook sufficiently sized portions,' said Kokom, adding that she could serve up to 50 portions on a busy day.
Kokom's diner opens regularly from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. The diner only serves nasi uduk (salty rice cooked in coconut milk, served with several side dishes) after these times.
Sate Kambing a la H. Sadjim
The sate kambing (lamb satay) by H. Sadjim is made in the Tegal, Central Java, style. Meaning, like all satay in this region, it must be marinated in a peanut sauce before grilling.
The diner, which was established in 1973, uses a sweet-salty mix of grated young pineapple, pan-fried peanuts and soy sauce to flavor its meat.
'When the diner first opened, my father, H. Sadjim, brought men from his hometown Tegal,' said Taufik Hidayat, adding that initially it was quite hard to get talented and trusted employees.
'In terms of marketing, my father got a big help from taxi drivers.'
The most important step in this delectable dish is that the meat should not be washed.
'When you get the meat, just marinate it right away. Washing it will only cost you aroma. If you don't feel like cooking it just yet, put it in the refrigerator,' advised Taufik.
He said the diner would continue to use its traditional recipe as it this that kept customers returning. 'The diner has a good amount of faithful customers. The first customers pass on their choice to their children and so on. We've tried other recipes, but this one is the favorite of our customers. It is a keeper,' he said.
Another tip is that the skewers should be kept in a glass of water to avoid getting burnt while grilling, and the H. Sadjim diner chooses seven-month-old goats.
Until now, the diner has one central diner in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta; as well as two branches, which are in Ciledug and Bekasi, West Java. The Bendungan Hilir outlet makes up to 1,700 skewers ' around 50 kilograms (kg) of goat ' every day. It opens seven days a week, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Iga Bakar Si Jangkung
After three years of trial and error, Haryanto eventually opened his own diner, Iga Bakar Si Jangkung, in 1998, which specializes in goat ribs.
'I was inspired by konro ox rib soup from Sulawesi and serabi [Indonesian pancake],' shared Haryanto, who is also nicknamed Si Jangkung, or the tall one.
'So, I created this grilled goat rib dish, which is served on a ceramic hot plate,' he said, referring to the plate usually used to cook serabi pancake.
Haryanto's father, who also owns a goat-based diner, inspired him to develop the culinary business.
In terms of recipe, Haryanto depends solely on Indonesia's rich spices.
'First, we boil the rib with spices, which will also get rid of its smell. Then, we grill it, before finally frying it,' he explained, adding that he only used male goats under one year old, which have less fat.
The hardest task Haryanto faced was sourcing the right hot plate. 'I found the ones from Surakarta and Cirebon were the best as they last for up to 15 portions.
'Getting the perfect location for my first stall was also a real challenge. I've been moved on several times. After more than 10 years in the business, I finally got my own place.'
So far, Haryanto has one central stall and six branches, all in Bandung, West Java, he admitted the business was getting more difficult as he faced more competitors.
'But, I believe different hands make different food. Business-wise, I'm franchising my business to those who are interested,' said Haryanto, adding that he made up to 250 portions of grilled ribs per day.
Nasi Goreng Kambing a la Pedurenan
Established in 1976 by Sanim, Pedurenan is a legendary Jakarta street stall. The flavorful fried rice mixed with seasoned chopped lambs is an unforgettable delight to food lovers.
Heri Iswanto, a relative of Sanim, said it was an honor to help the founder with the business.
'It is a mandate; I've been trusted to carry on the business, so I do my best,' said Heri.
Sanim's fried rice with lamb differs from all the others out there by its technique.
'We cook each portion twice. First, we cook the meat; then, we make the fried rice before adding it all together in the pan,' said Heri.
From its establishment up to the current day, Samin only has one stall, which is located in Pedurenan, South Jakarta. He used about 15 kg of meat a day. 'We make at least 200 portions a day. On a busy day, I can make up to 30 portions at once,' said Heri.
Nasi Goreng Kambing Pedurenan opens seven days a week, from 4.30 p.m.-12 p.m.
Legendary recipes
Gorengan Kambing (Fried lamb)
Ingredients: 250 grams of chunky goat meat; offal is also usable; 4 lemongrass stalks; us the white part and smash it; 5 orange leaves; Bay leaf; 50-ml soy sauce; Water; 200-ml coconut milk;
Salt and pepper; 100 grams red chilies; throw away the seeds, mash; 8 shallots, slice; 3 cloves of garlic, slice; 3-cm ginger, smash; 3-cm saffron, slice; 1 tea spoon curry powder; ¼ tea spoon caraway seed
Put meat (and offal if using) in boiling water with bay leaf and lemongrass, simmer for about one hour. Fry chilies, onions, ginger and saffron until they give off a pleasing aroma. Add curry powder and caraway seed. Add the meat to the frying pan and mix with the fried spices. Now add lemongrass, orange leaves, sweet soy sauce. Finally add seasoning to taste. Cook on a low flame for 10 minutes.
Sate Kambing (Lamb satay)
Ingredients: 500 grams of lamb, including fats, cut in cubes.
Marinade: 50 grams young pineapple, grate finely; 100 grams peanuts, pan fried and refine;
2 spoons of soy sauce.
Soy sauce ingredients: 10 red chilies; 10 shallots; sliced; 2 red tomatoes, chop; 5 spoons of soy sauce.
Mash the chilies; put them with soy sauce, shallots and tomatoes on a plate.
Step by step: Mix all marinade ingredients. Put in meat and fats into skewers. Cover the meat in the marinade. Grill on flaming charcoal. Serve with the soy chili dipping sauce.
Iga Bakar Kambing (Grilled lamb ribs)
Ingredients: 250 grams of goat ribs (or lamb); 5 cloves of garlic, mashed; 5 pieces of saffron, mashed; 1.5-liter water; 2 spoons of samin oil, or Indonesian ghee oil; 4 spoons of soy sauce;
10 shallots, sliced; 2 red tomatoes, chunk sliced; 5 small red chilies, sliced; Salt and white pepper
Step by step: Clean the ribs and cut into two-thirds. Boil the rib with garlic and mashed saffron, add salt, for about one hour. Take out the ribs and let cool. Grill the rib until brown. Heat the ghee oil on a cooking pan or a ceramic plate, the use of ceramic plate will add to the aroma. Add sliced shallots, chilies and tomatoes and mix with ribs. Add soy sauce, white pepper and mix. Ready to serve.
Nasi Goreng Kambing (Lamb fried rice)
Ingredients: 4 plates of white steamed rice; 250 grams of lamb, including fat; 4-cm piece of cinnamon; Samin oil (Indonesian ghee oil); Soy sauce; Salt and pepper
Refined ingredients: 6 garlic cloves; 3 shallots; 2 red chilies; ¼ tea spoon of caraway seed powder; 3 cloves; ¼ tea spoon of saffron powder; 3 cardamoms; Salt
Pickle ingredients:1 cucumber, cut into cubes; 50 grams of cabbage, slice; 20 small green chilies; 1 carrot, peel and cut into cubes
Step by step: Mash all refined ingredients. Take 1/3 and fry with ghee oil. Put in meat, sear; put it aside. Take the remaining refined seasoning; mix well with meat and rice. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper; Serve with seasoned pickles
' Photos courtesy of Bango
