Besbarmak – meat and pasta from kazakhstan

1. Step 1
PREPARE YOUR INGREDIENTS
Try and get a nice fatty cut of meat for the besbarmak – in this case, I've gone for beef shank. In general, bone-in cuts with good marbling will taste best for this kind of dish. Shanks, short ribs or brisket would also be good choices. Even ox tongue would be nice, as would lamb or a mix of different types of meat.
Feel free to adjust the amount of onions you put in according to your own personal tastes: it can be up to three onions, though one large one would also suffice.

2. Step 2
Boil the meat pieces whole in water with the big chunks of onion and the bay leaves. Add black peppercorns and salt and boil until the meat falls off the bone, which should take about 2-3 hours in a regular pot, 40 minutes in a pressure cooker or about 8 hours if you want to go the slow cooker way.

3. Step 3
While the meat is cooking, you can start to prepare the pasta. Mound the flour on a work surface and make a well in the center. Add in beaten eggs, olive oil, and salt.

4. Step 4
Mix with your fingers until the dough comes together into a ball, sprinkling water to moisten the dough as needed. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Wrap with cling film and leave to rest for an hour.

5. Step 5
Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 2mm, or as thin as you can get it. Use plenty of extra flour to stop the dough from sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.

6. Step 6
Cut into two-inch squares using a knife or a rolling pizza slicer.

7. Step 7
Once the beef is cooked and tender, take it out of the pot and set it on a colander to dry out any excess moisture. Keep the water the beef boiled in. Then take a knife and carve the meat into thin slices.

8. Step 8
Bring the beef broth back to a boil and gently place the pasta squares into the water. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

9. Step 9
Next, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and sauté until aromatic, but don’t let the garlic brown. Add the beef slices and stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

10. Step 10
In the same pan, toss the cooked pasta for a couple of minutes, just to gather up the flavors of the meat and garlic.

11. Step 11
To serve, arrange the pasta on a large plate (if you’re planning on eating Kazakh style and having everyone take from the same dish) and pile the beef on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives.
Ас дәмді болсын!