Uzbek Lamb Plov in a Cauldron over an Open Fire

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. Rice is the foundation of plov, and to get it fluffy you need the right kind. Stores now carry rice labeled "for plov," which works well. If you can't find that, choose a medium-sized short-grain rice. Any cut of lamb works, even bone-in. Mine came pre-cut and labeled "lamb for plov."

2. Step 2:

   

   Prep the cauldron. Clean it well — salt does the best job. Toss a handful of salt into the cauldron, scrub with a sponge or paper towel, then rinse with water.

3. Step 3:

   

   Set up the cauldron, get the fire going, and heat it up well.

4. Step 4:

   

   Rinse the lamb tail fat, pat it dry, and cut it into medium pieces. If you don't have tail fat, skip this step and just pour 500 ml of vegetable oil into the cauldron instead. Then continue with the recipe.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the cut tail fat to the hot cauldron.

6. Step 6:

   

   Fry over fairly high heat until enough fat has rendered out.

7. Step 7:

   

   My lamb is already cut into medium pieces. If yours is in one piece, rinse it, pat it dry, and cut it into medium chunks.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the meat to the cauldron and fry over fairly high heat for about 15–20 minutes, until it's lightly golden.

9. Step 9:

   

   Peel and cut the onion however you like — half-rings, cubes, or slivers; the cut doesn't much matter.

10. Step 10:

    

    Add the onion to the cauldron.

11. Step 11:

    

    There should be plenty of fat in the cauldron. If there isn't, add some vegetable oil.

12. Step 12:

    

    Fry everything for about 10 minutes.

13. Step 13:

    

    Peel the carrots and cut them into batons — fairly thick sticks, about ⅛–¼ inch (3–5 mm). Plov should have a lot of carrots.

14. Step 14:

    

    Add the cut carrots to the plov.

15. Step 15:

    

    Fry everything for about 15 minutes. You can cover the cauldron. The carrots are cut fairly large and should cook through at this stage.

16. Step 16:

    

    Add the cumin — whole or ground.

17. Step 17:

    

    Stir everything and simmer for about 5 minutes. The base — called the zirvak — is ready.

18. Step 18:

    

    Now it's the rice's turn. Rinse it very well, until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the cauldron.

19. Step 19:

    

    Stir and fry everything together for about 7 minutes. Each grain of rice should soak up the fat.

20. Step 20:

    

    Level out the surface and nestle in a few small whole heads of garlic.

21. Step 21:

    

    Pour in water over a slotted spoon so it doesn't splash. There should be twice as much water as rice, or the water level should sit about a finger-joint above the rice.

22. Step 22:

    

    Add salt.

23. Step 23:

    

    Set it over high heat.

24. Step 24:

    

    Bring it to a boil.

25. Step 25:

    

    Then cover with a lid. After 5–7 minutes, gradually lower the heat by pulling some of the burning wood out from under the cauldron. Cook over very low heat for about 30 minutes.

26. Step 26:

    

    Once all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, mound the plov into a heap and let it rest, covered, for another 15 minutes.

27. Step 27:

    

    Real plov is ready! Enjoy!