Iraqi Pacha
“Traditional Iraqi sheep's head and trotters stew, slow-simmered for 8-10 hours overnight with onion, garlic, rice, chickpeas, and stuffed sheep's stomach — eaten with bread and lemon. The Baghdad Friday-morning specialty, served at street pacha stalls before dawn. Polarizing dish — locals adore it, outsiders find the appearance startling.”
Where it comes from
Pacha (also called paça in Turkish) is the Baghdad-Mosul Friday-morning street food — sold at specific pacha-only restaurants and street stalls in pre-dawn hours. Old Baghdad has pacha streets where men gather before sunrise for breakfast. The dish reflects nose-to-tail Iraqi cooking traditions; nothing is wasted from the sheep. Diaspora Iraqis seek out pacha as a cultural homecoming meal.
On the plate
Pull a piece of cheek meat or tongue from the head — gelatinous, deeply rich, slowly-cooked tender. Bite trotter meat — sticky-gelatinous, almost candy-like in mouth-feel from the collagen. The broth is concentrated, salty, deeply meat-umami. Squeeze lemon over; the acid cuts the richness. With khubz to dip in the broth, the Baghdad Friday morning ritual. Old Baghdadi men know which pacha vendor to seek out.
How it works
8-10 hour low-simmer breaks down sheep head and trotters into a gelatinous broth and meltingly tender meat. Pre-soak removes blood; aggressive initial skimming clears the broth of impurities; the result is concentrated meat-broth with rich mouth-feel. Lemon's acid cuts through the heavy collagen-fat. The stuffed stomach absorbs broth and becomes its own complete preparation.
Variations
Modern restaurants sell just the broth as 'pacha soup' for diners who don't want the whole experience. Stuffed-stomach-only version is for those who skip the head. Lebanese pacha is similar but with more spices.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
11 steps · Show ↓90 min active · 510 min waiting
How it's made
11 steps · Show ↓- 15 min
Prep meat: 1 sheep's head (cleaned, halved by butcher) + 4 sheep's trotters (cleaned, hooves removed) + 500 g lamb shoulder or shank.
- 2122 min
Soak all meat in cold salted water 2 hours; drain. Rinse thoroughly.
- 36 min
In a very large pot, add the meat + cold water to cover (4-5 L) + 1 tbsp salt + 1 tsp black peppercorns + 4 bay leaves + 2 onions (whole, peeled) + 1 head garlic (cut in half).
- 416 min
Bring to a boil. Skim aggressively for 15 min — the foam must be removed for clean broth.
- 5540 min
Reduce to lowest simmer. Cover loosely. Cook 8-10 hours overnight (or 4-5 hours on a higher simmer).
- 6122 min
Make optional stuffed stomach: clean 1 sheep stomach. Stuff with 200 g rice + 100 g chickpeas + 100 g cubed lamb + 1 chopped onion + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp baharat. Sew closed. Add to the pot in the last 2 hours.
- 72 min
After cooking: the meat should be fall-off-bone; the broth should be richly flavorful.
- 84 min
Lift meat onto platters. Discard onions, garlic, peppercorns.
- 94 min
Strain broth.
- 105 min
Plate: arrange head pieces, trotters, stuffed stomach (if made), and lamb shoulder. Pour hot broth into bowls separately.
- 113 min
Garnish with 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley. Serve with khubz flatbread, lemon wedges, and crushed garlic-vinegar on the side.
