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1
Simmer the Horse Meat
150 Mins • Simmering
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F); meat cooked through to at least 74°C (165°F)
Put the horse meat in a large pot, cover with 2.5 litres of cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Skim off the grey foam as it rises — this keeps the sorpa clear. Add the halved onion, peppercorns and bay leaves, turn the heat down to the gentlest simmer, cover and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is so tender it pulls apart with a fork. Add the salt in the last hour. Do not let the pot boil hard, or the broth turns cloudy and the meat dries out.
Skim twice in the first 15 minutes — that is when most of the foam appears, and a clear sorpa is the mark of a well-made beshbarmak.
Done when: Meat pulls apart easily with a fork; broth clear and golden.
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2
Make the Noodle Dough
15 Mins + 30 Mins Rest • Kneading
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Sift the flour into a wide bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in the beaten eggs and about 120 ml (1/2 cup) of cold water. Mix with your hands, adding water a spoonful at a time, until a stiff dough forms — it should feel firm, like a dumpling dough, not soft like bread dough. Knead on a floured board for 8–10 minutes until smooth and springy, then wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls out thin without springing back.
If the dough feels sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time; if it cracks, add water a teaspoon at a time.
Done when: Smooth, firm dough that holds its shape when pressed.
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3
Roll and Cut the Noodle Squares
15 Mins • Rolling
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces. On a well-floured board, roll one piece at a time into a sheet about 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick — thin enough to see your hand through it faintly. Cut into squares or diamonds about 8 cm (3 inches) across, dust with flour and lay them out in a single layer so they dry a little and do not stick together. Keep the pieces you are not working with covered so they do not dry out and crack.
Roll from the centre outward and turn the sheet a quarter-turn between passes — that is how you get an even thickness without tearing.
Done when: Thin, even sheets cut into palm-size squares, lightly floured.
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4
Cook the Potatoes in the Sorpa
30 Mins • Simmering
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
About 30 minutes before the meat is done, lift the meat out of the pot onto a plate and keep it warm under foil. Drop the quartered potatoes into the simmering sorpa and cook for 20–25 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set them aside with the meat. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot — this is your sorpa, and it should be clear and golden.
Cook the potatoes in the broth, not in plain water — they absorb the meat flavour and arrive on the platter already seasoned.
Done when: Potatoes tender all the way through, broth strained clear.
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5
Make the Onion Sauce (Tuzdyk)
10 Mins • Simmering
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the sliced onion half-rings in a small pan with the butter and a ladle of hot sorpa. Simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft, glossy and translucent but not browned. Season with a pinch of black pepper. This soft onion sauce is spooned over the meat at the table — it is what makes the dish taste Kazakh rather than simply boiled meat and noodles.
Do not fry the onions — they should wilt in the broth, turning sweet and silky, not crisp or browned.
Done when: Onions soft, glossy and translucent, swimming in a little broth.
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6
Cook the Noodles in the Sorpa
8 Mins • Boiling
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F)
Bring the strained sorpa back to a rolling boil. Shake the excess flour off the noodle squares and drop them in, a handful at a time, stirring gently so they do not clump. Cook for 5–7 minutes until tender and silky — they should be soft but still hold their square shape. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly. Keep the remaining sorpa hot in the pot; it will be served in bowls.
Cook the noodles in batches if your pot is small — crowded noodles stick together and tear.
Done when: Noodles tender and silky, holding their shape, lightly coated in broth.
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7
Assemble the Platter and Serve with Sorpa
10 Mins • Assembling
Serving hot, above 60°C (140°F)
Slice the warm meat across the grain into bite-size pieces. Spread the hot noodles over a large warmed platter, leaving the centre clear, and arrange the sliced meat in the middle with the potatoes around the edge. Spoon the soft onion sauce over the meat and scatter the chopped dill on top. Ladle the hot sorpa into small bowls and set one beside each place. Traditionally the platter goes in the centre of the table and everyone helps themselves with their hands — the name beshbarmak means 'five fingers'.
Warm the platter first with hot water so the noodles do not cool and stick while you arrange the meat.
Done when: Platter steaming, meat glistening with onion sauce, sorpa bowls hot and clear.
Kazakhstan
1h 40m
France
Vietnam