Wuchuan Farmhouse Preserved Pork

Wuchuan Farmhouse Preserved Pork

　　Wuchuan preserved pork, also known as smoked and roasted pork, is traditionally made when winter arrives. Every year around this time, local Gelao families choose an auspicious day to slaughter their New Year’s pig. The cut meat pieces are thoroughly massaged with salt and a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn powder. Many small grooves are also sliced into the front and hind legs to ensure the salt and pepper fully penetrate the meat. After 10 to 18 days, the meat is taken out and strung up with palm leaves, then hung above the stove or fireplace. It is smoked and roasted for about 80 days before being taken down and stored in a dry, ventilated place. Some households even bury the preserved pork under unhusked rice, claiming this makes it even more fragrant. Alternatively, it can be slowly smoked using cypress branches, Chinese toon bark, and expensive cinnamon, and then hung up to air-dry over a wood fire.