Wufeng Tujia Cured Meat

Wufeng Tujia Cured Meat

　　Wufeng Tujia Cured Meat is a specialty of Wufeng County in Yichang City, Hubei Province. The cured meat features bright colors, with the muscle appearing bright red or dark red, the fat transparent or milky white. The meat is dry, firm, elastic, and boasts the distinctive fermented flavor expected of cured meats.

　　In Tujia households, it is common practice to raise a New Year pig, mainly to ensure there is meat for the New Year celebrations. Any meat left over after the holidays is made into cured meat. This not only makes it easier to preserve but also enhances its color. When cooked, the aroma of the cured meat wafts far and wide, stimulating the appetite. It is often served as the main dish when hosting guests.

　　To make Tujia cured meat, spices such as pepper, star anise, and mountain pepper are stir-fried with salt, then ground into powder. After the pig or sheep is cleaned and opened up, the head, legs, and shoulder are cut off first and cured in a vat. The remaining meat is cut into strips weighing about five jin each, cured layer by layer, with seasoning sprinkled between each layer. This curing process lasts about ten days before the meat is taken out to be smoked. When smoking the cured meat, it’s important not to use pine or fir wood, which produce heavy smoke and fat. Instead, fragrant firewood such as green oak, wild hawthorn, bayberry, and cypress branches are used. The smoking continues day and night without interruption until the beginning of summer the following year, when the meat is taken down. After cooling, it is stored among grains of rice. The rice absorbs moisture, making the cured meat even more resistant to spoilage and allowing it to be preserved for a long time without going bad.