Su Shi, also known as Zizhan and Dongpo Jushi, was a famous writer in the Northern Song Dynasty in China. He not only had profound attainments in poetry and calligraphy, but was also called a gourmet in ancient my country. Dongpo often called himself an old slanderer. According to folk legend, he is the creator of the delicacy "Dongpo Pork".
There is also a fascinating story behind this famous Dongpo pork dish:
According to "Famous Foods in Xuzhou Ancient and Modern Times", when Su Shi was appointed magistrate of Xuzhou, the Yellow River burst. Su Shi took the lead and built embankments with the people in the city to protect the city. The people of Xuzhou slaughtered pigs and slaughtered sheep to show their condolences to the government. Su Shi couldn't refuse, so he instructed his family to cook braised pork and give it back to the people. After eating it, the people felt it was fat but not greasy, crispy and fragrant, so he called it "return meat." . Later, when Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, he wrote a song about cooking meat: "The good pork in Huangzhou is as cheap as dung. The rich refuse to eat it, and the poor don't know how to cook it. Slow the fire and use less water. When the heat is sufficient, it will be beautiful." Come and have a bowl every morning, and don’t worry if you’re full.” People began to imitate it, jokingly calling it “Dongpo Pork.” When Su Shi was appointed magistrate of Hangzhou for the second time, he was responsible for dredging the West Lake. Everyone carried wine and meat to pay him New Year greetings. Su Shi ordered the pork and wine to be cooked and given to the migrant workers. The family misunderstood that rice wine and pork were cooked together. After eating, everyone felt that it was more crispy and fragrant, earning it the reputation of "Dongpo Pork". From then on it slowly spread throughout the country.
Let us also come and appreciate this fat but not greasy, delicious Dongpo pork!
★Making materials:
600g pork belly and 300g rice wine
1 green onion and 1 piece of ginger
1 star anise, 30 grams of dark soy sauce
30 grams of rock sugar
★Preparation method:
1. Wash the pork belly and cut it into cubes, blanch it in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes to remove the blood, take it out and rinse it with clean water.
2. Cut the green onions into long sections and slice the ginger, place them on the bottom of the casserole to prevent the skin from sticking to the pan, and place the pork belly in the casserole with the skin side down.
3. Add rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and salt to the casserole, cover with lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to low heat and simmer for 1 and a half hours.
4. Take the pork belly out of the casserole and put it skin side up into a stew pot with a lid. Pour the remaining soup in the casserole into the stew pot, cover it and steam it over high heat for 20 minutes.
5. Wash the Shanghai greens and blanch them in boiling water, mix with a little oil and put them on a plate, put the pork belly on top, and finally pour the gravy on it.
★Cooking skills:
1. Using a casserole, on the one hand, the heat preservation performance is very good, and on the other hand, various seasonings can be slowly penetrated into the meat, retaining the aroma of the meat to the maximum extent.
2. Using wine instead of water to roast the meat not only removes the fishy smell, but also makes the meat softer and more fragrant.
3. Blanch the whole piece of meat and then cut it into small pieces, the shape will be flatter.
Su Shi expressed the key to making Dongpo meat with a sentence: "Slow down the fire and use less water. When the fire is sufficient, it will be beautiful." Today, the pace of life of modern people is getting faster and faster. Can you also slow down, be less anxious, stop and take a break, and enjoy a slow life, starting with Dongpo Pork?
Editor: Mary
