[Dishes] To Accompany Morning and Evening Meals That Can Serve as a Relish

Method for Making Potted Meat

original: 輿肉法 (yurou fa). While "yu" literally means a carriage or cart, in this culinary context it refers to a specific style of potted or preserved meat intended for long-term storage and convenience.

First, raise a mature pig original: 宿豬 (su zhu). A pig that has been kept for over a year to ensure it has reached sufficient size and fat content. until it is fat. Slaughter it during the twelfth lunar month original: 臘月 (layue). The final month of the traditional calendar, ideal for curing meat because the cold weather prevents spoilage.. Once the carcass has been prepared, singe it with fire until the skin turns a golden yellow. Use warm water to scrub and wash the hide; scrape it until it is perfectly clean.

Chop the carcass and remove the internal organs and the pig’s leaf fat. Scald original: 燖 (xun). A technique involving boiling or submerging in hot water to clean or partially cook. the meat and fat, then cut the meat into square chunks about five or six inches wide, ensuring that each piece consists of both skin and flesh. Place the meat in a cauldron and add enough water to submerge it. Boil the meat until it is cooked through and the water has completely evaporated.

Next, take the lard that was rendered earlier and use it to cook the meat again. As a general rule for proportions, use two units original: 升 (sheng). A traditional Chinese volume measurement, roughly equivalent to a liter in modern terms, though smaller during the Northern Wei period. of fat, three units of wine, and three units of salt. Ensure that the fat completely covers the meat. Simmer over a low flame for about half a day; this will produce the best result.

Strain the meat out and place it into a ceramic jar. Pour the remaining liquid fat into the jar over the meat so that it is entirely submerged and sealed. When you wish to serve it, boil a portion in water until it is tender and season it with aromatics as you would normally.