Goat mutton, a winter specialty that warms the soul
Print Edition
AS winter approaches, mutton becomes big business in Minhang eateries.
Goat meat has been traditionally regarded in China as an antidote to cold. In addition to its body-warming virtues, it also provides nutrition that can help ward off colds and other seasonal ailments.
One problem with mutton is its strong odor, which puts some people off the meat. But Minhang restaurants and market food stalls specializing in this seasonal dish have grown adept at diminishing pungency while retaining flavor.
Here are some places to try for relatively odor-free goat eating:
Xiaoshi Mutton
The boiled goat dishes at Xiaoshi Mutton are mainly for carry-out. The shop is very clean and bright, imparting a pleasant atmosphere for customers.
The shop, located in Hongqiao Town for the last two years, has actually been serving meals in Minhang for more than a decade.
The owner, who wanted to be identified only by the name Shi, said he chooses only goats raised on Shanghai’s Chongming Island or in Qidong, Jiangsu Province. These goats are raised organically and have little odor, he said.
Customers praise the meat as tender and tasty.
“About 10 years ago, I tasted Shi’s mutton for the first time at a relative’s home in Minhang, and I never forget the taste,” said a Zhang Ying, a loyal customer who now travels from the Pudong New Area to eat at the restaurant. “It’s an obsession, I guess. Every winter I come to have mutton here almost once a week.”
The shop is closed between noon and 3pm so Shi can take his daily nap after getting up before dawn to prepare the day’s mutton fare.
Address: 430 Huanzhen Rd W.
Jiwang Wet Market
The best mutton in Jiwang Town is found in a wet market rather than restaurants. Many of the mutton stalls here have been operating for more than 40 years, and their cooks practice a technique handed down by a master chef named Hou Wenkui.
Consumers can buy take-outs for home meals or they can enjoy the steaming mutton at tables provided in the market.
The Weiming Mutton booth is considered the most authentic in the market because its owner Hou Weiming is the grandson of the master. Different from the traditional boiled mutton of Qibao, the meat served here is salted.
“In the past, local residents did heavy work all day and needed to replenish salt they lost through sweating,” said Hou. “And salt gets rid of the mutton odor completely.”
Hou said he had been cooking mutton and making mutton soup since his childhood. A friend nicknamed A Ming learn the art of mutton cooking with him and later opened up a food stall just across from his.
But A Ming is now retired, and the stall has passed on to one of his pupils, Wang Lejian from Henan Province.
“There is a lot to learn, from catching the goats to slaughtering and cooking them,” said Wang. “I’m proud that I can make mutton soup with the same taste as my mentor once did.”
It’s almost impossible to completely eliminate the goat odor from mutton soup, but most diners don’t really care.
“Some people tell me they ‘just like the flavor,’” said Wang. “But we still prepare a mutton-free noodle soup for people who don’t.”
Address: 158 Jigao Rd
Suzhou Mutton House
This mutton restaurant began in the Jiangsu Province city of Suzhou, where it served Cangshu mutton and quickly developed a reputation for some of the best mutton dishes in China.
Now in Minhang, the restaurant features an all-mutton menu, including mutton soup, mutton hotpot, boiled mutton and mutton noodle soup.
The mutton noodle soup is the popular favorite. It features noodles served with two types of mutton, boiled and braised with soy sauce.
The restaurant is open until 2am and gets busier after midnight. The couple who owns the restaurant are from Suzhou and have been in Minhang for seven years.
“Our mutton is from goats raised in Suzhou,” said the owner. “So I can boldly say that we serve authentic Cangshu mutton. It is not frequently found in Shanghai.”
Address: 1625 Luoxiu Rd
Other popular mutton shops in Minhang
Huameihong Mutton House
Also in a wet market, this eatery is known for its traditional boiled mutton. Customers say the mutton is so tender that it doesn’t require chewing. Usually the boiled mutton is sold out before 8am.
Address: Huacao Trade Market,
Donghuamei Rd
Jiamei Restaurant
Sliced boiled mutton tops the menu here. The meat is described as tender but a bit chewy, and the more you chew, the tastier it becomes.
Address: 755 Dushi Rd
Hongqi Mutton House
In addition to usual mutton dishes, goat offal is served here. Customers said the owners are adept at completely cleaning the offal, which is quite rare.
Address: 2 Fan’an Rd
Hu’s Mutton
The restaurant is a hit in Zhaojialou Ancient Town. The salty, sweet sauce served with the boiled mutton is lauded as the best in Shanghai.
Address: 26 Pingxi Str, Zhaojialou Town
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