Saveur - April-May 2017

15

EAT THE WOR LD

Clockwise from top:

Khorkhog is a traditional

stew of sheep, potatoes,

vodka, and water; a freshly

butchered sheep hangs

in the yurt; a mix of

Soviet and Asian objects

furnish the Bayraa tent.

an hour, the steam was gone,

the meat brown and tender.

We ate this offering with

our hands, and after the last

rib was picked clean, we drank

vodka. The river stones, still

warm and slick with lamb

fat, were passed from host to

guest, thawing chilly hands

and feet as we sat, elbow to

elbow, communing beneath

that big Mongolian sky. 

the boys’ uncle set them over

a bed of glowing hot coals to
begin the khorkhog.

Once added to the pot, the
river stones sizzled, searing
the ribs and chops like little

cast-iron skillets. Vodka and
water were poured in, creating

a giant puff of steam. Sealed
with a lid weighted down with
a wrench, the cauldron of

rocks was put over fire, and in