As we all know, this elbow is rich in collagen, which has the effects of nourishing yin and blood, moistening skin and improving skin. The meat is plump and the luster is attractive. After stewing, the meat is fragrant, often tempting to export water. I have a classmate who happens to have the word "Dongpo" in his name. Everyone orders this dish at every class reunion to show his memory (perhaps because he is greedy).
Dongpo elbow is famous all over the world. In fact, in Shaanxi, it is this Dali elbow with a handle that is more famous than Dongpo elbow. Listen to me slowly.
"Elbow" is one of the representative dishes of yamen cuisine (that is, official cuisine) in Qin cuisine, and even listed as the first dish of Qin cuisine in China Recipe. "Elbow with handle" is famous for its outstanding fragrance, excellent color, fragrance, taste and shape. Its color is purple and red, like a handle, so it is called "elbow". Unique materials, different from other elbow dishes. The elbow has bones and hooves, the dishes are like hills, and the shape is unique and full, which is called "the king of the plate".
The so-called "elbow with handle" must be "elbow with handle", that is, with pig's feet. Its practice is more complicated: when doing it, the elbow head should be outward and the elbow handle (paw) should be inward; Put the elbow skin down on the chopping block, cut the skin along the leg from the elbow head to the middle elbow with a knife, remove the meat on both sides of the leg bone (three sides are separated from the meat), and connect the bottom bone with the meat to expose the bone; Then break off two leg bones from the middle with the back of a knife, cook them in a soup pot until they are 70% cooked, take them out and dry them with a clean cloth, and put red soy sauce on the skin while it is hot. Take a steaming basin, put star anise and cinnamon in the bottom of the basin, first break off the epiphysis of the elbow handle by hand without damaging the skin, then put the elbow skin down into the steaming basin, and put the elbow handle into the basin according to the elbow shape when loading the basin to make it round. Sprinkle with salt, cover the meat with sterilized gauze, and then spread the sweet noodle sauce, onion, red lobster sauce, white soy sauce, ginger and garlic evenly on the gauze. Put the steamer in the cage and steam for about three hours. Take it out, remove the gauze, buckle it into the plate, and remove the spices such as star anise and cinnamon. When serving, onions and sweet noodle sauce are usually brought as supplementary food.
This dish is steamed with strong fire. There must be a small gap in the cage cover so that the finished product will not be damaged by too much steam.
The "elbow with handle" served on the table is extremely beautiful in shape and color, showing a unique purplish red color. Compared with "Dongpo elbow", its meat quality is softer, crisp and easy to knead (I believe many friends have experienced the embarrassment of eating the whole elbow together when eating Dongpo elbow), and it tastes crisp but not greasy, mellow and delicious.
However, after all, the production method of this "elbow with handle" is too complicated, both greasy and unaffordable. In Xi 'an, it is not easy to find a restaurant that can make an authentic "elbow". In some small shops run by small enterprises, this elbow is often included in the menu. What impressed me the most was that once on the way through Dali, many "elbow with handle" signs were hung on the lampposts on the roadside, which showed the local people's concern about it. It is said that in Dali, Shaanxi, if there is no "elbow" dish, it can't be regarded as a banquet.