No vodka or vinegar
It is a well-known fact that Kyrgyz people are very fond of meat. They don't need bread, as long as there is meat on the table. A lot of meat. There is a popular saying about this: do not tell the host that you have slaughtered a whole ram until you bring the ram's head to the dastarkhan (a traditional table). And the descendants of Manas the Generous consumed this protein-rich product in immeasurable quantities, I must say, not in a banal way. With feeling, with meaning, with arrangement. Among the Kyrgyz, there is an entire ritual for its preparation. Well, everyone surely knows about the traditional beshbarmak. But not many have heard of tash kordo — a favorite dish of ancient hunters. And not everyone has had the chance to try it. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstani Rayimbek Jusupbekov has already eaten his fill. Because he has been preparing this meat for 17 years!
We had heard about Jusupbekov's culinary masterpiece.
— He cooks such meat — you will be amazed! Not just licking your fingers, but you will swallow your tongue. It's very tasty! — our storytellers, who once had the chance to try his cooking, were practically drooling. They intrigued us right away!
...It turned out that finding Rayimbek's chef was not so difficult. In the foothill village, there is a place where everyone can taste his meat creation. We caught Jusupbekov in the midst of preparing tash kordo. Rolling up his sleeves, he was marinating the meat. In a large pot, a whole lamb carcass, cut into pieces, fit. The room smelled of spices. And the aroma was so appetizing that it instantly increased salivation.
— My marinade is simple. Just garlic, salt, onion, tomatoes, cumin, and various spices. I run all this through a meat grinder and coat each piece. Then I pour boiling water over everything. And no vinegar or vodka! Many add them to soften the meat. But in the end, it loses its taste qualities, — says the chef, finishing the process.
While the ustukans (meat pieces) absorbed the aromas of the spices, we had time for a calm, unhurried conversation. At the dastarkhan, Rayimbek Jusupbekov talks about his life. He is an economist by profession, originally from Toktogul, from the village of Uch-Terek. He has lived there almost his entire life. His sons grew up and went to the capital to study. And when they returned to their small homeland, the head of the family always prepared his signature tash kordo for his children. And one day, his sons told him: why not feed all of Bishkek with your edible creation? Thus, he ended up in the capital.
— Tash kordo is an ancient dish of the Kyrgyz, — our hero tells. — Food cooked in fire, on stones, that is roughly the meaning of the name. Tash kordo was mainly prepared by merghenchis — hunters. They shot game, and since there were no pots or other utensils at hand, they used all available means. They dug a pit in the ground one and a half meters long and seventy centimeters wide, lining it with stones on the inside. Then came the butchering of the catch. The meat was seasoned with wild garlic, onions, and other edible plants that grow abundantly in our mountains. Everything was wrapped in fresh skin and left for a while. A large fire was lit in the pit. The wood had to burn completely — only hot red coals remained. And then, so to speak, raw branches (specifically green ones, so the fire couldn't catch them) were hung, somehow securing the marinated pieces. All this was lowered into the pit — the meat had to barely reach the ashes. Next, the pit was completely covered again with the animal's skin. And on top, it was covered with dry leaves and clay. This was to create a vacuum, preventing steam from escaping. And although the merghenchis did not time themselves, they knew exactly when to retrieve the cooked meat. All these procedures took about five to six hours.
Aitmatov was surprised
Jusupbekov once read this ancient recipe in a book. And right away he wanted to try it himself. But first, the newly minted chef decided to modernize the cooking method a bit. Why, for example, cover the tandyr (a type of oven) with skin if there is thick tarpaulin at home? Moreover, one can construct a lid from tightly nailed wooden boards. And instead of green branches, even super-strong ones, one can easily use metal skewers with special hooks. And there is no need for stones. They can be replaced with fireproof bricks.
— As a result, I can prepare tash kordo not in five to six hours, as the hunters did, but in just 45 minutes! — boasts our interlocutor.
The fame of the tash kordo prepared by Jusupbekov's hands spread far beyond Toktogul. Rayimbek-bayke is usually asked to prepare his signature dish at some gathering, a toye (celebration). And the presentation of the dish always follows a similar script. The host proudly brings in a huge tray with a fragrant steaming mound, and people immediately grab knives and lean towards the plates. And feeling the amazing taste of the meat melting in their mouths, they inevitably demand to see the author. In those moments, Rayimbek Jusupbekov clearly feels happy. Why not! So many people are satisfied. And he never tires of recounting the entire backstory of his culinary career a thousand times. He believes that by preparing tash kordo and telling its story, he is contributing to the revival of ancient traditions and customs.
The unforgettable taste of the merghenchis' food has also been tried by famous people. Among them are deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh and officials. But Rayimbek Jusupbekovich especially highlights the genius Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov.
— After tasting the meat, the elder was very surprised. He said, is there really someone who cooks tash kordo?! It turns out he had also read about it in books but had never seen how it was done, — recalls the chef.
And foreigners, as a rule, upon experiencing the tenderness of the lamb, exclaim: “Oh my God!”.
— The meat should truly melt in your mouth, not be chewed over and over again. For tash kordo, young lambs up to one and a half years old are suitable. And they should be moderately fat — not too fatty and not too lean.
No secrets. Just soul
— Many chefs keep their secrets hidden. And you? — we ask Rayimbek-bayke.
— Oh, I hide nothing! If anyone wants to prepare tash kordo, I will always tell them in detail, even show them. I don't mind, — laughs the self-taught cook. — But often it doesn’t turn out right for everyone. It seems simple at first glance: sprinkle with pepper, throw the meat in the fire, take it out after a while, and it's ready. But in reality, I would say it is a delicate job. If you overcook it by even five minutes, the meat will turn out dry, and if you take it out too early — raw. Recently, an acquaintance complained that he followed your recipe exactly, but it still turned out poorly, and it was very embarrassing in front of the guests. I always say that you should only open the lid of the “oven” once, otherwise the taste is lost. There is also its own magic here. And then, as in any business, there must be experience. And, as banal as it sounds, a piece of soul.
— And still, have you ever had to blush in front of guests? Was there at least one failed case in your many years of practice?
— Of course! — exclaims Jusupbekov. — It happens. Maybe the guests didn’t notice, but I clearly saw my shortcomings, mistakes. And each time I took note of it. In short, the “correction” of the signature dish took me years.
...And now the moment of truth has come, as they say. We could see with our own eyes everything that the bayke had previously told us. Before us was a large bright yurt. In the center, an underground “oven” — tandyr. Everything around was clean and tidy. Satkyn — Rayimbek-bayke's son was busy with his father at the fire. He is now an indispensable assistant to the head chef. Satkyn has become a kind of culinary successor to his father; he can cook by himself. But the head of the family always controls the process.
The fire blazes. The branches of the apricot tree flare brightly. We wait a few minutes until the wood turns into shimmering coals. Then Satkyn with difficulty brings a large bowl of marinated meat into the yurt. The pieces are threaded onto hooks not haphazardly but with some calculation. Thus, each ustukan finds its place. And they finish the process with the head and the massive tail. With great effort (after all, a whole lamb fit on the skewers!), the men place the apparatus in the pit. Then everything is tightly covered with boards and tarpaulin. And while the lid is being covered with clay, it starts to puff right before our eyes. Steam tries to escape even through such a thick layer!
After about fifteen minutes, being in the kitchen yurt becomes unbearable for a hungry person. The smells are simply maddening. The impatience is further fueled by the intrigue — what will come of all this?
...Rayimbek-bayke stages the climactic moment with all solemnity and even pomp. He gathers all the guests, eager to taste his dish, and in their presence retrieves the meat. And before they start on the ustukans, the guests, according to established tradition, must first eat a piece of roasted lamb tail and liver. At that moment, people cannot speak but simply smack their lips in pleasure. We also had the chance to try Jusupbekov's famous dish. Delicious. Very delicious!