Zhizhig-Galnash

Ingredients

• 1.3 kg bone-in beef short ribs or chuck, cut into large pieces
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• Water, to cover
• 1 1/2 cups (200g) fine cornmeal
• 1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
• 1 tsp salt
• About 1 cup broth (from the pot), for the dough
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt, for the sauce
• 1 cup hot broth (from the pot), for the sauce

Before you cook

• Trim any excess fat from the beef pieces and pat them dry.
• Halve the onion.
• Measure out the peppercorns, bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons salt for the pot.
• Crush the garlic cloves to a paste with the side of a knife and a pinch of salt, then set the paste aside for the sauce.
• Stir the cornmeal, flour, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl and keep it dry until the broth is ready.

Steps

1. Put the beef pieces into a large pot with the halved onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
2. Pour in cold water to cover the meat by about 2 inches, then add the 2 teaspoons salt.
3. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises.
4. Lower the heat, partly cover the pot, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
5. Lift the beef out onto a platter, tent it loosely with foil to keep warm, and keep the broth gently simmering in the pot.
6. Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into the bowl of cornmeal mixture and stir with a spoon until it forms a thick, slightly sticky dough.
7. Once the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it briefly on a floured counter until smooth.
8. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into a rope about 2cm thick.
9. Cut each rope on a diagonal into pieces about 3cm long.
10. Strain about 2 cups of the simmering broth into a separate small saucepan and whisk in the crushed garlic paste to make the garlic sauce, then keep it warm over low heat.
11. Drop the cut dumpling pieces into the still-simmering pot of broth.
12. Cook the dumplings at a gentle boil for 10 to 12 minutes, until they float to the surface and are cooked through in the center.
13. Lift the cooked dumplings out with a slotted spoon and pile them onto a large serving platter.
14. Slice or pull the beef into large serving pieces and arrange it over and around the dumplings.
15. Ladle a little of the plain hot broth over the meat and dumplings to keep everything moist.
16. Serve the platter with the warm garlic sauce and the remaining broth in a separate bowl alongside, for spooning over or sipping.