Boiled and steamed cured pork

Boiled and steamed cured pork

　　People from Huaiyuan in Xiushui love to cure pork, with the winter season being the traditional curing period. The method involves cutting fresh pork into long strips, about five to six pounds each. After washing and air-drying, the pork is placed in a heated wok with roasted coarse salt. The meat is rolled and rubbed until the skin turns light yellow, the fat begins to render, and a subtle aroma emerges. The pork is then taken out and placed in a large wooden basin, with hot salt sprinkled over the bones. It is cured for about a week until the brine seeps into the meat. The salt particles are then brushed off, and the pork is hung on a rope to dry and smoke in the sun until it takes on a light yellow hue. Another drying stove is prepared, with rice husks, peanut shells, and tea seed shells scattered inside. The fire burns without an open flame, producing only continuous smoke. The pork is laid on the stove rack, covered with paper, and smoked until it turns orange-red. The cured pork is then hung in a dry place to be enjoyed during the New Year and the following Qingming Festival. Before the arrival of the rainy season the next year, any leftover cured pork is buried in a grain jar or sweet potato shreds jar for preservation.

　　 Cured pork prepared through smoking can be cooked in various ways—steamed, boiled, stir-fried, braised, or deep-fried. Here are two simple methods: First, take freshly cured pork, wash off any impurities, and slice it into very thin pieces. Peel a few garlic cloves and lightly crush them. Lay the cured pork slices on top of the garlic and steam them in a steamer basket. The aroma is irresistible and particularly appetizing. If using boiled and steamed cured pig’s head or pork jowl, the flavor is even fresher. Chen Sanli, one of the “Five Talents” of the Yining Chen family and a representative figure of the Tongguang poetry school, as well as one of the Four Reform Princes of the Qing Dynasty, loved this dish the most. According to his granddaughter Chen Xiacong, during their stay at the Songmen Villa on Mount Lu, a large bowl of garlic-steamed cured pork was always served at the annual reunion dinner. Second, thinly sliced cured pork can be placed on top of nearly dry rice and steamed together until the rice is fully cooked. Then, the pork is lifted onto a plate to eat. This boiled and steamed cured pork, shaped somewhat like an ear, is crystal clear, fragrant, delicious, and not greasy. It is said that when they visited Xiushui that year, the specially prepared boiled and steamed cured pork received high praise from their group. Chen Sanli’s eldest son, the renowned painter Chen Hongshou, wrote in his poem “Eating Smoked Meat”: “...A carved plate presents smoked meat, said to be sent by my mother. I offer it with care to neighbors and friends, delighting brothers at the feast. A taste brings warmth from kin, a raised chopstick praises our nation’s treasure.” Smoked meat here refers to cured pork. Back then, the master referred to cured pork as a “national treasure” while in Beijing, showing just how delicious this food is.