Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup … rich aromatic broth, packed full of flavours and tasty tender mutton cooked to perfection. A dish I love and remember ever so fondly.

My fave CNY dish

Grandpa has always been an amazing cook and this Hainanese Mutton Soup is his speciality. Since young, this has been my fave mutton soup, a Chinese New Year must-have dish.

My Gramps, the original Mr & Mrs Chef !

Whenever Grandpa cooks this Hainanese Mutton Soup, the kitchen transforms and smells most incredible as the aromas of the sautéd herbs & spices fuse. The wonderful whiff of his cooking tantalizes for the next hours as all eagerly wait to taste his perfectly tender mutton, accompanied by a most delicious rich and flavorful herbal bouillon. 

Shiok!

Since Grandpa, this timeless family recipe has now passed down to Mom who cooks it only during Lunar New Year. Each bite, each slurp … delicious, nostalgic, heart warming and one that brings me right back to Grandpa’s kitchen again. 

My two lovely treasures ♥️

I am truly blessed to learn Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup as cooked and instructed by Mom. Here’s to more family blessings in the year ahead and wishing everyone a Blessed Lunar New Year 2023🧧! 

㊗️大家金年顺景家兴旺，四季平安福满堂！

GRANDPA’S HAINANESE MUTTON SOUP 阿公的羊肉汤: STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL

If you like this recipe tutorial and like to see more, subscribe to my YouTube channel here!

If you like this Hainanese Mutton Soup, you may also like these Chinese New Year recipes:

• Easy Florentines, our favorite Chinese New Year snack
• CNY Blessings Carrot Cake
• How to make your own Lohei
• Homemade Ba Kwa
• My MIL’s Yummy Pineapple Tarts
  
• Pistachio Matcha Pineapple Tarts
• Kaffir Lime Spiced Nuts
• Laksa Cookie

Tips

 #1 Cut of meat

We like to use a mix of mutton fillet, short ribs and leg bones or shanks for this Hainanese Mutton Soup. The different cuts give something for everyone. Meaty, boney and even rich creamy marrow!

Something for everyone!

The important thing when using different cuts of meat is to regulate cooking time. As compared to fillet, short rib and leg bone often contain tendon and fatty tissues which typically take longer to cook till tender. Hence always watch the cooking time and adjust according to the cut of meat used.

More melt-in-your-mouth tender or tender-with-a-bit-of-chew? Your taste bud is the guide – cook till the texture is tender as you prefer.

#2 Wash wash wash!

I can’t begin to tell you how many times we washed the mutton. Mutton is gamey and bloody hence it is important to clean well before cooking. Mom likes to clean/rub the meat with a little salt and rinse several times till the water runs clear and is no longer bloody.

It is also good to drain well and let the meat drip dry for half an hour or so, so that any remnant bloody liquids are discarded. Do this step well and you will get a delicious rich tasting mutton soup that is big on flavor and without the gaminess.

#3 Chinese herbs

Hainanese Mutton Soup has a distinctive flavour and aroma which comes from a unique combination of Chinese medicinal herbs which adds to nutrition and notches up the intensity of the flavors. 

This is what gives the soup complexity …

For instance, Chinese herbs like gan chao (甘草) helps to balance the mutton’s heat to the body. Red dates (红枣) are added for sweetness. There are also herbs like dang shen (党参), dang gui (当归) and cinnamon (桂皮) which have anti-bacterial/anti-inflammatory properties whilst adding to taste and reducing the gaminess of the meat. 

Saute these well …

The thing to note is some of these medicinal herbs need to be sautéed slowly to fully release their unique flavours whilst others are simply added at the soup stage. 

These are added only at the soup stage

Watch the recipe video @4:28 min and @8:25 min to see when to add these different herbs.  

#4 Red fermented beancurd

The traditional style of Hainanese Mutton Soup is a simmering brown broth with a distinct and robust flavour that comes from one key ingredient – red fermented bean curd (红腐乳).

Red fermented beancurd … the game changer

Red fermented bean curd or 红腐乳 is essentially fermented tofu spiced with a generous amount of red yeast rice which gives a unique tanginess and a vivid bright red hue. 

Pungent, creamy and salty, it’s like a very soft brie but with a strong punch of flavor. In certain parts of Asia, some people love to eat red fermented beancurd like cheese, spread on rice or a soft bun. Used in cooking, it can be an extremely versatile flavor enhancer in stews, marinades and soups. 

Chinese Brie – anyone?

Red fermented beancurd is an essential ingredient in Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup. We like to use the non spicy version of red fermented beancurd and slowly sauté it with the spices and herbs, to fuse all the different flavors.

Slowly saute the spices/herbs and 红腐乳 until fragrant 

Combined, the flavors complement the meat beautifully and gives the broth a complexity akin to hints of anchovies, yet subtly sweet with seductive milky notes that balance the gaminess of the mutton.

Slurrp … simply irresistible!

Savoury, sweet, herbal, bitter, milky, umami, thick yet … Balanced. Potent. Delicious. Divine.

#5 Adding water 

It is important not to add any water yet when the mutton is first added to cook with the fragrant sautéed herbs & spices. Instead turn the meat evenly and allow the flavours to be fully absorbed as it cooks. Saute the meat well until the juices come out.

Watch for the juices …

Add water for the soup only at this stage after the meat has been nicely enriched by the wonderful flavors of the fermented beancurd and spices. (Watch the recipe vid @7:52 min to see how this is done.)

#6 Salty much? 

Other than a little salt that is used in the cleaning of the mutton (and rinsed off), this Hainanese Mutton Soup does not use any salt. This is because salt tends to make the mutton tough and much harder to cook till tender. If required, use soy sauce or chicken powder to further add to taste according to your preference. Remember *DO NOT ADD SALT*

Use soy sauce to adjust the taste

#7 Don’t skip the chilli

In this household, Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup is simply not the same without its own special chilli. The authentic mutton soup chilli is a quick blend of shallots, chillies, ginger, kaffir lime juice and most importantly, red fermented beancurd (红腐乳).

Made fresh, this tangy spicy gingery chilli complements the dish most beautifully. You may of course use other chilli sauce but for me, one bite of the mutton and the soup condiments dipped in this special chilli …. Aaaahhhh, life is complete 🈵 🈵 😄 

The indispensable chilli dip

#8 Storage 

I usually make Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup one day ahead and leave it overnight as the soup tastes even better the next day having fully absorbed the flavors of the spices and herbs. Simply turn off heat once fully cooked & boiling and leave it overnight on the stove or alternatively tuck it into the fridge.

Skim off the oil layer on top

Once cooled, the oil layer would have settled well on top and is also easier to skim off for a healthier less oily broth. Mutton is fatty so skim off this fat as much as possible! Before serving, heat up the soup and enjoy it piping hot.

No soup compares …

Did you make this? I would love to know how it turned out. Tell me more 😊  Please leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram, FB hashtag #thesugarcrumble 

Print Recipe

Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup

Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup - my fave CNY dish. Rich aromatic broth, packed with flavour and tasty tender mutton cooked to perfection!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 persons

Author: Kai

Ingredients

Meat

• 500 g mutton fillet (cut into chunks)
• 500 g mutton ribs (cut into chunks)
• 400 g leg bones or shanks

Spices

• 50 g garlic ~ 8 cloves
• 50 g shallots ~ 6 cloves
• 40 g ginger one big knob (sliced)
• 20 g cinnamon 桂皮 ~ 3-4 sticks
• 1 g cloves 丁香 ~ 12 cloves
• 2.5 g star anise 八角 ~ 5 cloves
• 10 g dang shen 党参 ~ 2 sticks
• 5 g dang gui 当归 ~ 5 slices (not too many as the soup will become bitter)
• 25 g red dates pitted 红枣 ~ 6 pieces
• 10 g chinese liquorice 甘草~ 10 slices
• 9 pieces red fermented beancurd 红南乳- 8 to 9 squares

Condiments

• 200g fried yuba (2x100g packets)
• 145 g tau pok (beancurd puffs) ~ 10 pieces
• 60 g black woodear fungus

Chill sauce for Grandpa’s mutton soup

• 7 red chillies
• 15 garlic cloves
• 3 inch ginger
• 3 pieces red fermented beancurd

To season the soup

• Chicken powder
• Soya sauce
• Pepper

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Wash the meat with some salt and rinse till the water runs clear. Drain away the water and marinate the meat with 3 pieces of red fermented beancurd. Set aside to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.
• Slice the garlic, shallots and ginger. Soak the black woodear fungus and once softened and expanded, cut away the stem and any hard part of its core.
• Soak the fried yuba until softened. Blanche both the yuba and tau pok in hot water to remove any oiliness.
• Lastly rinse each of the Chinese herbs and drain well before use.

Cooking the mutton soup

• Heat up the wok. Once the wok is hot, add in half a bowl of oil and fry the garlic on medium heat till fragrant. Next add the the shallots do the same, followed by the ginger. Take your time to sauté well until the garlic, shallots and ginger are nicely golden and fragrant, next add in the cinnamon, star anise and cloves to sauté.
• Again once these spices are nicely fragrant, add in 5 pieces of red fermented beancurd and again slowly sauté till the flavor comes out (you can smell it!) Take the time to sauté well as all these flavors combined will translate into a beautiful rich broth.
• Once fragrant, add in the mutton to fry. Keep turning the meat so it sautes evenly and absorbs all the fragrant spices/herbs. (*Do not add water yet* or the taste of the spices/herbs will be diluted). Add 2 tsp pepper and 2 tsp chicken powder to the meat and continue frying.
• Cook the mutton until the juices of the meat comes out. You will see the meat shrink as it cooks. Once the juices and oil comes out of the meat, add boiling water for the soup.
• Add water until the meat is fully submerged. At this stage, add in the rest of the Chinese herbs (dang gui, dang shen, gan chao, the red dates) black fungus and the tau pok. The black fungus and tau pok is added here to allow it to slowly braise with the meat and absorb the lovely flavours.
• Cook for ~2 hours until the meat is tender. If the soup level becomes low, add boiling water as appropriate during this time to allow the meat to braise properly.
• Once the meat is quite tender, add in the fried yuba and boil for another 30 min. Taste the soup and if required, add a little more soya sauce or chicken powder if it’s not salty enough. (*Do not add salt to season the soup - see notes*). Once the yuba has braised for 30min, switch off the heat. The mutton soup is ready.

Chilli sauce

• Add the chillies, shallots, ginger, lime juice and fermented beancurd in a blender.
• Blitz till it becomes a well blended chilli paste. The chilli sauce is ready.
• Before serving, skim off the oil on top as the mutton can be quite fatty. Serve the mutton soup piping hot with fragrant rice and a side dish of the freshly made chilli. Enjoy.

Video

Notes

If you like this recipe tutorial and like to see more, subscribe to my YouTube channel here 😊

 

#1 Cut of meat

We like to use a mix of mutton fillet, short ribs and leg bones or shanks for this Hainanese Mutton Soup. The different cuts give something for everyone. Meaty, boney and even rich creamy marrow!

The important thing when using different cuts of meat is to regulate cooking time. As compared to fillet, short rib and leg bone often contain tendon and fatty tissues which typically take longer to cook till tender. Hence always watch the cooking time and adjust according to the cut of meat used.

More melt-in-your-mouth tender or tender-with-a-bit-of-chew? Your taste bud is the guide - cook till the texture is tender as you prefer.

 

#2 Wash wash wash!

I can’t begin to tell you how many times we washed the mutton. Mutton is gamey and bloody hence it is important to clean well before cooking. Mom likes to clean/rub the meat with a little salt and rinse several times till the water runs clear and is no longer bloody.

It is also good to drain well and let the meat drip dry for half an hour or so, so that any remnant bloody liquids are discarded. Do this step well and you will get a delicious rich tasting mutton soup that is big on flavors and without the gaminess.

 

#3 Chinese herbs

Hainanese Mutton Soup has a distinctive flavour and aroma which comes from a unique combination of Chinese medicinal herbs which adds to nutrition and notches up the intensity of the flavors.

For instance, Chinese herbs like gan chao (甘草) helps to balance the mutton’s heat to the body. Red dates (红枣) are added for sweetness. There are also herbs like dang shen (党参), dang gui (当归) and cinnamon (桂皮) which have anti-bacterial/anti-inflammatory properties whilst adding to taste and reducing the gaminess of the meat.

The thing to note is some of these medicinal herbs need to be sautéed slowly to fully release their unique flavors whilst others are simply added at the soup stage.

Watch the recipe video @4:28 min and @8:25 min to see when to add these different herbs. 

 

#4 Red fermented beancurd

The traditional style of Hainanese Mutton Soup is a simmering brown broth with a distinct and robust flavour that comes from one key ingredient - red fermented bean curd (红腐乳).

Red fermented bean curd or 红腐乳 is essentially fermented tofu spiced with a generous amount of red yeast rice which gives a unique tanginess and a vivid bright red hue. 

Pungent, creamy and salty, it’s like a very soft brie but with a strong punch of flavor. In certain parts of Asia, some people love to eat red fermented beancurd like cheese, spread on rice or a soft bun. Used in cooking, it can be an extremely versatile flavor enhancer in stews, marinades and soups.

Red fermented beancurd is an essential ingredient in Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup. We like to use the non spicy version of red fermented beancurd and slowly sauté it with the spices and herbs, to fuse all the different flavors.

Combined, the flavors complement the meat beautifully and gives the broth a complexity akin to hints of anchovies, yet subtly sweet with seductive milky notes that balance the gaminess of the mutton. Savoury, sweet, herbal, bitter, milky, umami, thick yet ... Balanced. Potent. Delicious. Divine.

 

#5 Adding water

It is important not to add any water yet when the mutton is first added to cook with the fragrant sautéed herbs & spices. Instead turn the meat evenly and allow the flavors to be fully absorbed as it cooks. Saute the meat well until the juices come out.

Add water for the soup only at this stage after the meat has been nicely enriched by the wonderful flavors of the fermented beancurd and spices. (Watch the recipe vid @7:52 min to see how this is done.)

 

#6 Salty much?

Other than a little salt that is used in the cleaning of the mutton (and rinsed off), this Hainanese Mutton Soup does not use any salt. This is because salt tends to make the mutton tough and much harder to cook till tender. If required, use soy sauce or chicken powder to further add to taste according to your preference. Remember *DO NOT ADD SALT*

 

#7 Don’t skip the chilli

In this household, Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup is simply not the same without its own special chilli. The authentic mutton soup chilli is a quick blend of shallots, chillies, ginger, kaffir lime juice and most importantly, fermented beancurd (红腐乳).

Made fresh, this tangy spicy gingery chilli complements the dish most beautifully. You may of course use other chilli sauce but for me, one bite of the mutton and the soup condiments dipped in this special chilli …. Aaaahhhh, life is complete 🈵 🈵 😄

 

#8 Storage

I usually make Grandpa’s Hainanese Mutton Soup one day ahead and leave it overnight as the soup tastes even better the next day having fully absorbed the flavors of the spices and herbs. Simply turn off heat once fully cooked & boiling and leave it overnight on the stove or alternatively tuck it into the fridge.

Once cooled, the oil layer would have settled well on top and is also easier to skim off for a healthier less oily broth. Mutton is fatty so skim off this fat as much as possible! Before serving, heat up the soup and enjoy it piping hot.

 

Did you make this? I would love to know how it turned out. Tell me more 😊  Please leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram, FB hashtag #thesugarcrumble