Guangdong cured meat

Guangdong cured meat

　　Guangdong cured meat is a local specialty of Guangdong Province in China, boasting a distinctive flavor. This is a traditional taste from Guangdong’s folk cuisine—simple enough for every household to make, with a savory and salty taste that is rich yet not greasy, making it widely popular. The cured meat has a golden-yellow hue and a deliciously fragrant taste

　　　Preparation method: Remove hard bones, breast meat, and other impurities from pork ribs, then cut them into strips about 40 cm long.

　　　　Wash off the surface fat, then soak in “seasoning liquid” (prepared with 300g sugar, 125g distilled spirit, 500g premium soy sauce, 150g salt, and 10g saltpeter per 5kg of meat) for 8–10 hours before removing.

　　　　Hang the strips on bamboo poles and roast over green charcoal fire for three days and nights to achieve golden color and a rich, aromatic, and flavorful cured meat (you may also sun-dry until completely dry and oily).

　　　　Features: Convenient to eat—can be steamed or sliced—and makes a great pairing with alcohol; tastes even better when stir-fried.

　　Key techniques

　　　　Cut pork belly into strips 40 cm long and 3.5 cm wide, place in a dish, mix evenly with the above seasonings, and marinate for seven days before removing.

　　 Make a small diagonal cut through the skin and meat at the thicker end of each strip, thread a string through to tie, then hang on a bamboo pole in a sunny, ventilated area. Once dried, place in a basin and store in a dry location.

　　 Before eating, wash off dust, steam over high heat for about 25 minutes, then remove and slice diagonally.

　　 Store dried cured meat in a cool, dry place in a basin. When cleaning off dust, a brush can be used for scrubbing.