Hand-Chopped Herb Khinkali with Beef Broth

Method

1. Mix the bread flour and salt, add the water little by little until it comes together, then knead hard for 12 min into a smooth, firm dough. Bread flour's stronger gluten holds the broth even when rolled very thin. Wrap and rest for 45 min.

   Add in this stepBread flour (dough) 250 gSalt (dough) ½ tspWater (dough) 115 ml

2. Put the meat in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it up, slice it 3–4 mm thick, then chop it for 12 min with two knives, bringing them down alternately. Stop when the pieces are a little bigger than grains of rice. Hand-chopped meat keeps more texture than machine mince and traps the juices between the pieces.

   Add in this stepBeef chuck, with some fat 140 gPork shoulder 100 g

3. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, dill, thyme, pepper flakes, pepper and filling salt to the meat, then pour in the cold stock in 3 additions, mixing by hand in one direction for 5 min until sticky. Chill it well while the dough rests; the colder it is, the easier it is to shape and the juicier the result.

   Add in this stepOnion, very finely chopped ½Garlic, minced 1Cilantro, chopped 2 tbspFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 tbspDill, chopped 1 tbspDried thyme ¼ tspRed pepper flakes ½ tspCoarsely ground black pepper ½ tspSalt (filling) ¾ tspBeef stock, well chilled 100 ml

4. Dust the surface with flour, roll the dough into a log and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each into a 13 cm circle with very thin edges (about 1 mm) and a slightly thicker centre. Keep the rest covered.

   Add in this stepFlour, for dusting 25 g

5. Put about 30 g of filling on each wrapper and pinch tight pleats with your thumb and forefinger, turning as you go, aiming for 19 or more. Twist the top into a knob to seal; if the knob is very large, trim a little off with scissors. Shaping them all takes about 15 min. Set them apart on a floured tray.

6. Bring the water and coarse salt to a rolling boil on high heat in a pot of at least 3 L, stir it into a whirlpool and drop the khinkali in one by one. Nudge them gently off the bottom, and when the water returns to the boil, turn down to medium heat and cook for 12 min. Cook in two rounds if the pot is crowded. Cut one open to check the meat shows no pink.

   Add in this stepWater, for boiling 3 LCoarse salt (for the pot) 1 tbsp

   high heat→medium heat

7. Lift them onto a warm platter, grind over plenty of black pepper and serve at once. Hold by the knob, bite a small hole in the side and sip the broth first.

   Add in this stepBlack pepper, to finish to taste