Winter-Pack Meat

Winter-Pack Meat

　　Winter-Pack Meat is an essential specialty dish served at Yi ethnic group celebrations for both happy and somber occasions. However, red Winter-Pack Meat must be prepared for joyous events, while white Winter-Pack Meat is required for funerals.

　　The specific method of making Winter-Pack Meat is as follows: when slaughtering a pig, the hide must be thoroughly cleaned and scraped white, then washed clean. The finest “three-layer” pork is then taken directly from the pig and put straight into a pot to be boiled in clear water until cooked. It is then removed, cut into chunks, and placed in a basin. Pour in two taels of liquor to moisten one spoonful of red yeast rice. Once mixed well, this mixture can be used to dye 25 kilograms of meat red. After the meat is dyed red, it is placed in an iron wok to be stir-fried, then mixed with tsao-ko powder, ginger, salt, and other seasonings. After a short period of stir-frying, an appropriate amount of water is added, and it is stewed for a while before being ready to eat. For funerary events, no red yeast rice is used, resulting in white Winter-Pack Meat.