Let's know the properties of the main seasonings used in cooking meat:
1, Zanthoxylum bungeanum: Its main function is to add sesame flavor to meat and stimulate appetite. Xi Anniu mutton and bread soup restaurant uses Dahongpao Zanthoxylum bungeanum from Hancheng, Shaanxi Province, which is bright red in color, uniform in particles, fragrant and pure. Of course, even if the texture of Hancheng Dahongpao pepper is different. Nowadays, logistics is developing rapidly, and many high-quality peppers can be seen locally, such as Dahongpao pepper in fenglingdu, Shanxi and Hanyuan pepper in Sichuan. Here, we should emphasize the preservation of peppers, which must be sealed in glass or porcelain bottles, so as to ensure that the hemp taste of peppers is not affected.
At present, most of the peppers stored in the Paomo Museum are packed in sacks, so it is hard not to lose their flavor. Generally, the paomo restaurant will season for three months at a time, even once every six months. So preserved, can the fragrance of Zanthoxylum bungeanum be the same in the early and late stages? If you still use the same proportion of seasoning formula, can you make steamed buns with the same taste?
2, fennel: also known as fennel or small incense, the appearance is like rice, fennel quality is good, the color is yellow-brown or yellow-green, the shape is like rice, the grain is big and long, the texture is full, bright and bright, with strong licorice fragrance, dry, and less impurities in the stem. The main feature of fennel is the volatility of its own aroma, and its aroma mainly comes from anethole (about 50%), fennel, anisaldehyde, pinene and other aroma substances. In the cooking process of beef and mutton, fennel is mainly used to remove the peculiar smell (odor) in meat, enhance the fresh flavor of meat and soup, and keep the Huang Liang of soup.
3. Cinnamon bark: As the name implies, it is the bark of cinnamon tree, sometimes called cinnamon. The main producing areas are Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui and Hubei. And the quality produced in Guangxi is the best. Cinnamon is the top grade, with thick cortex, high oiliness, rich aroma and no mildew. The main aroma of cinnamon comes from cinnamaldehyde (about 70%), and minor components such as eugenol and pinene also have certain aroma.
4. Amomum tsaoko: Amomum tsaoko is the mature seed of the ginger herb Amomum tsaoko, which is produced in China, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. Top grade is the kind with big and full fruit, ruddy color, rich fragrance and no peculiar smell. The aroma of Amomum tsaoko mainly comes from linalool and other aroma components in volatile oil. Its taste is spicy and slightly sweet, which not only enhances the fragrance, but also drives away the peculiar smell. ?
5, star anise: also known as anise, fennel. Mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi and other places in China, its main function is to enhance fragrance and remove odor. Star anise and cinnamon are two basic raw materials for making spiced powder.
The above five seasonings are the most basic raw materials for making beef and mutton buns. They are very particular about compatibility and play a seasoning role in mutual balance and restriction. Zanthoxylum bungeanum and fennel are the main characters. If there are only these two protagonists, the soup is Huang Liang, but its taste is hemp but not fragrant. If cinnamon is added, the fragrance will go up, but the soup will be slightly sweeter. At this time, it is necessary to use Amomum Tsao to sweeten. After removing the sweetness, the spicy taste of Amomum tsao-ko still exists. At this time, star anise appeared to coordinate the tastes of all parties and meet the taste requirements of fresh meat and soup. Among the seasonings for cooking beef, mutton and steamed buns, pepper and fennel account for more than 70% of the total ingredients, while cinnamon, tsaoko and star anise account for less than 30%. Due to various factors, such as different quality seasonings and different cook the meat, the cook the meat formula of each restaurant in Paomo is not exactly the same. People who often make mutton buns know that there is an important seasoning in cook the meat, which is ginger. Why not introduce it here? The highest skill of beef and mutton cooking is to remove the fishy smell of meat and enhance the flavor of meat through minimalist seasoning. The above five seasonings are just to achieve this effect. ?
However, these five seasonings are extremely difficult to match, especially the proportion of cinnamon, tsaoko and star anise. A little later, a pot of soup meat won't be needed. At this time, it is necessary for Alpinia officinarum to rebalance and coordinate the taste of various materials. Alpinia officinarum, scientific name Alpinia officinarum, belongs to Alpinia of Zingiberaceae. The appearance is cylindrical, the shape is solid, it is rust red, and the interior is brown, with hypertrophy, firmness and oiliness as the top grade. Alpinia officinarum is the most fragrant ingredient in catering seasoning, including more than 20 kinds of camphor alcohol, eugenol and cineole. Alpinia officinarum is very inclusive and can be paired with mild star anise and pepper. Because cinnamon, Amomum tsaoko and Illicium verum are difficult to be compatible, Alpinia officinarum joined the army with a strong proportion of 70%, and the flavor was mild.
Since then, the advantages and disadvantages of Alpinia officinarum have emerged. The advantage is that it inhibits the strange smell caused by improper collocation of cinnamon, tsaoko and star anise, and the disadvantage is that it weakens the fresh flavor of meat and soup. Finally, talk about dried ginger. Ginger is spicy, so it is seldom used when cooking beef. Its main function in cooking mutton is to remove fishy smell and greasy taste. Dried ginger is a double-edged sword when cooking mutton dishes, which not only removes the fishy smell, but also affects the umami flavor of mutton. Therefore, experienced chefs will use ginger carefully when cooking mutton dishes.