Lu Zhou Huo Shao (Stewed Intestines and Bread)

Lu Zhou Huo Shao

　　　Lu Zhou Huo Shao is a well-known dish in Beijing, made by cooking baked wheat bread along with stewed pig intestines and lungs (sometimes also using pig kidneys), all in one bowl — giving you a main, a side, and a hot soup. The specific preparation process goes like this: cut the cleaned pig small intestines and lungs into small sections and put them into a broth seasoned with various spices and condiments. When the ingredients are about 80% cooked, add raw baked wheat bread, fried tofu slices, and blood tofu. Once the intestines and lungs are thoroughly tender and the bread is fully cooked but still holds its shape, remove them. Cut the intestines into sections, dice the lungs, bread, and fried tofu, pour over the seasoned broth, and add garlic juice, fermented tofu sauce, and coriander. Add vinegar and chili oil according to taste.

　　　　It may not look complicated, but making it is quite a laborious task. Moreover, since it’s not expensive, most people just eat it at restaurants — there aren’t many who make it at home.

　　　　I judge the quality of a Lu Zhou Huo Shao shop based on four criteria:

　　　　One: Smell

　　　　Pig small intestines are located further down the digestive tract, so they absolutely must be thoroughly cleaned. To prepare raw pig stomachs, you need to repeatedly rub them inside out with raw salt. Since intestines are further down and twisted, cleaning them is even more difficult. If not cleaned well, no amount of garlic juice or chili can mask the unpleasant smell.

　　　　Two: Base Pot

　　　　Although it's considered food for the poor, the pot used to stew the intestines is even more particular than the one used for hot pot lamb. The base pot is simmered with large chunks of pork bones, along with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, blood tofu, pork skin, and chili oil. It’s simmered for a long time, resulting in a thick, rich broth. The boiling soup is covered with a thick layer of oil. This method not only removes the odors from the intestines, but is also very affordable for working-class people who rarely get to enjoy meat.

　　　　Three: Cooking Time

　　　　The intestines should be stewed until soft and tender — not like rubber bands that are hard to chew and swallow. The bread should absorb the broth and have no white, uncooked parts inside when cut, but the layers shouldn’t completely separate and fall apart into a mushy mess. The fried tofu should be crispy outside and soft inside, full of tiny air pockets.

　　　　Four: Portion Size

　　　　In the past, working-class folks rarely had access to meat, so this “delight of the poor” was a real treat. That’s why portion size matters — and ideally, the proportion of the most flavorful (and relatively most expensive) intestines should be higher. The cooks, having done this day in and day out for years, are naturally skilled. Even without the standardized portions like KFC or McDonald’s, they instinctively know just how much intestine or lung to add to each serving.

　　Among all the Lu Zhou Huo Shao shops in Beijing, the most famous is undoubtedly the century-old shop “Xiao Chang Chen.” Now in its fifth generation, I used to eat Lu Zhou Huo Shao at night markets, food streets in malls, but ever since I tried Xiao Chang Chen, I refuse to let any subpar versions ruin my palate.