Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People, Volume 9

...vinegar.

Marinated fish can be kept overnight. When roasting, pour a juice made from various aromatic herbs over the fish. If the meat becomes dry during the process, continue to apply the juice until it is fully cooked. A deep reddish color is considered ideal. When serving, do not limit yourself to just one variety of fish.

Chapter 81: Making Preserved Meat and Grains-Packed Meat

Method for Making Preserved Meat

Donkey, horse, and pork may all be used for this preparation. Those made during the twelfth lunar month original: 臘月 (layue). This is the last month of the traditional Chinese calendar, known for being the ideal time for curing meats due to the cold, dry weather. are of the highest quality. Meat preserved during this time will last through the summer without attracting insects. If you prepare this in other months, you must cover and protect it extremely carefully; if the seal is not airtight, maggots will inevitably grow.

For venison—specifically deer, elk, or muntjac original: 麖 (jing). A small species of deer common in East Asia.—keep the bones in if they are present. Chop the deer or elk meat into pieces. Mix together salt, koji original: 麴 (qu). A fermentation starter made from grain colonized by molds, essential for brewing and curing., and wheat bran. Use your judgment to determine the total amount needed based on the quantity of meat.

As for the proportions: use equal parts salt and koji, and use half as much wheat bran as you used koji. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, place the meat into a ceramic jar and seal the opening tightly with mud. Expose the jar to the sun for fourteen days original: 二七日 (er qi ri), literally "two seven-days.", at which point the meat will be cured and ready. Boil the meat before consuming.