Ninglang Yi-style Tuotuo Meat

Ninglang Yi-style Tuotuo Meat

　　Almost every visitor to Ninglang County in the Lijiang region (commonly known as Little Liangshan) will want to try the Yi people’s tuotuo meat. The tuotuo meat of the Little Liangshan Yi people is similar to Xinjiang’s “hand-pulled lamb.” In preparation, fresh and plump pigs, cattle, or sheep are typically slaughtered immediately, then cut into large chunks — some as small as a fist, others as big as a bowl — without adding peppercorns or salt. The meat is blanched in boiling water until about 60% cooked, then placed in a sieve and lightly sprinkled with a layer of salty water foam. It is served with a type of dry pickled vegetable soup made using a traditional method from Little Liangshan (which helps neutralize greasiness). Diners grab the tuotuo meat with their hands, gnawing and chewing as they go. Because of its unique preparation method and moderate fat content, the more you chew, the more flavorful it becomes, and the more it whets your appetite. As a result, tuotuo meat has now become a very famous local delicacy in Little Liangshan.