Yuan Yang Beef Jerky

Yuan Yang Beef Jerky

　　Yuan Yang Beef Jerky is a specialty of Yuan Yang County in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The small yellow beef jerky cured by the locals has become an indispensable main dish on the dining tables of Yuan Yang residents. Many food enthusiasts come here not only to taste this delicacy but also to take back several gift boxes of the jerky to share with family and friends.

　　Nansha is the new county seat of Yuan Yang County, located in the southern part of the Ailao Mountains. It enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius. Nansha is a place where high mountains are accompanied by abundant water sources and lush grasslands. The soil here is rich in trace elements, nurturing naturally raised, tender, and vibrant small yellow cattle. The jerky made from the meat of these young yellow cattle boasts fine texture, rich nutrition, delicious flavor, and is very appetizing.

　　The practice of turning beef into jerky stems from local customs. Whenever there are weddings, funerals, or other joyous or solemn occasions, beef is served as the main dish at banquets. In the past, any leftover beef would be preserved through curing. However, locals attribute the technique of making beef jerky to an invention originating from Dai families during funeral ceremonies.

　　Among the local Dai people, whenever an elder passes away, each of the deceased’s in-laws is expected to bring their best yellow ox to the bereaved family for slaughtering and ceremonial purposes. They believe that the ox can help guide the deceased smoothly to heaven. Moreover, when the departed is reunited with their ancestors in the afterlife surrounded by a herd of oxen, it brings them honor, as the oxen serve as proof of a prosperous life lived on earth.

　　Therefore, in cases where an elder with many children and in-laws passes away, there is often more yellow beef than can be consumed (although after the ceremony, the in-laws typically take back half an ox, some still remains). Nansha has a hot and humid climate, where beef is prone to spoilage. So what is the solution? Over time, the ingenious Dai people invented the method of making beef jerky.

　　When curing the jerky, the toughest and most tender leg muscles of the yellow ox are usually selected. After cutting the chosen beef into strips, if one prefers a stronger meaty flavor, there's no need to remove the fat or sinew. But if you want to avoid any gamy taste, all attached fat and sinew must be meticulously removed, leaving only lean meat. The meat is then placed in a basin, seasoned with an appropriate amount of salt, and vigorously kneaded just like laundry, until the salt granules dissolve completely and the flavor permeates the beef. Next, dried chili powder is sprinkled on, holes are punched at the bottom of the beef strips, which are then threaded onto palm leaves and hung on bamboo poles to dry and cure in the sun for one to two days—similar to drying clothes—or alternatively, they are smoked over burning wood, sugarcane residue, or pine needles.

　　Once cured, the beef jerky can be cooked according to individual taste preferences. The simplest method is to heat oil in a pan, add an appropriate amount of dried small chili peppers, and fry them until they turn dark red. Then add sliced jerky and stir-fry. Once cooked, sprinkle with a suitable amount of Sichuan peppercorn powder and a few leaves of fragrant, still-green mint that have been fried to release aroma. This results in a jerky dish that is visually appealing, aromatic, and bursting with flavor. Whether served with sweet fermented rice wine or plain steamed rice, its delightful combination of crispiness, fragrance, numbness, and spice will leave you craving bite after bite. Most uniquely, the jerky is both chewy and crispy—so much so that even elderly people can enjoy it with ease.

　　Another way to enjoy beef jerky is even more thrilling for the taste buds: cut the jerky into strips, roast them over charcoal or deep-fry them, then pound them into shreds in a mortar. Add ingredients such as ginger, garlic, fresh small chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns, and continue pounding. The resulting jerky is so spicy it will make you break into a sweat, open your appetite wide, and leave you exclaiming in delight—guaranteed to be a flavor you’ll never forget.