Stir-Braised Mutton with Glass Noodles

Stir-braised mutton takes thinly sliced tan-sheep, stir-fries it over fierce heat, then adds glass noodles, green pepper and onion with a brief braise in seasoning; the meat is tender and slippery, the noodles soak up the sauce, and the whole plate is glossy red, threaded with wok-breath and chilli fragrance.

Stir-braised mutton is a recent street-corner hit in Yinchuan, fusing the northwest art of high-heat stir-frying with the Hui love of heat, its fierce flame locking in the tan-sheep's tenderness; it swept through the city's night markets and roadside stalls to become a late-night favourite.

Cooked to order and eaten scalding, it often goes with rice or flatbread as a group of friends dig in over cold beer, the liveliest scene of a Yinchuan summer night stall.

The fierce wok-breath, the tender tan-sheep and sauce-soaked noodles, and the glossy red spicy look define Yinchuan stir-braised mutton.