Khash is a dish for the cold winter months, traditionally eaten at sunrise (before morning work). It is famous for its restorative effects. The most important elements in cooking are patience and consistent skimming of foam to ensure the broth is crystal clear. Khash is never salted during cooking!
Serving is a ritual: everyone salts and seasons their broth with garlic, and dried, crumbled Lavash is poured into the hot soup, absorbing the liquid and creating a thick porridge.
Thoroughly clean the beef trotters of any stray hairs (e.g., by singeing) and impurities. Quarter them (ask the butcher) and place them in a large bowl.
Cover with cold water and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, ideally 24-48 hours. Change the water regularly (every 3-4 hours) to remove impurities and blood, which ensures a clear broth.
If using tripe, clean it thoroughly and boil separately for 1 hour. Then drain the water, cut into pieces, and add to the trotters in Step 2.
Rinse the trotters and place them in the largest pot you have. Cover with cold water (about 5 cm above the meat).
Bring to a rapid boil, then discard the first water. Add new cold water (again, about 5 cm above the meat) and bring to a boil.
As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to the lowest setting so the soup only bubbles very gently (or use a heat diffuser). During the first hours, diligently skim off the foam and fat to keep the broth as clean and translucent as possible.
Simmer uncovered for 8-10 hours. Check the water level during cooking and only add hot water to keep the bones submerged.
Khash is ready when the meat completely separates from the bones and the broth is so sticky that your fingers adhere to each other. Let the pot cool, then remove the excess fat that solidifies on the surface.
Prepare the garlic mixture: crush or finely mince the garlic and mix it with a little hot broth (or water) in a small bowl. (Traditionally, a large amount of garlic is used – 4-6 cloves per serving).
Prepare dried Lavash: if you don't have dry Lavash, you can break it into pieces and toast it in the oven at 185 °C (365 °F) for a few minutes until crispy.
Reheat the Khash. Remove the trotters from the pot and divide them into bowls. Ladle the hot, strained broth over them.
Serve immediately with a bowl of salt, the garlic mixture, and dried Lavash. Each person seasons to their own taste, crumbles the Lavash into the soup (to thicken it), and covers the bowl with a large piece of Lavash (to keep the Khash warm).