Bacon is made by slowly simmering pork belly with seasonings such as Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, and sweet noodle sauce.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, a man named Guo Xi opened a bacon shop in Chaigoubao Town, Huai'an. He summed up the experience of his predecessors in making bacon and created a unique production process, which doubled the value of Chai Gou Bao bacon. According to legend, when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu passed by Chai Gou Bao when they fled. During the meal, I quite appreciated the Chaigoubao bacon. After that, he was ordered as a tribute by the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Method

The production of Chaigoubao bacon is roughly divided into three stages: material preparation, meat cooking and smoking. When preparing the ingredients, use about 100 pounds of second-grade meat with about one inch of fat and cut it into five-inch square chunks. The thickness is generally about an inch and a half. Ingredients in the first pot: aniseed, pepper, spices, cinnamon, cloves, amomum villosum. Prepare scallions, ginger, garlic, sweet noodle sauce, and when cooking the meat, add the spine first, and layer the other skin-on meat pieces on top. Add another two pounds of green onions, half a pound of garlic, and an appropriate amount of salt. Finally, add water to cover the meat. After it boils over slow heat, add sweet noodle sauce, black noodle sauce, soybean curd, soy sauce, and vinegar. After the pot is boiled, turn the meat pieces upside down and continue to simmer over low heat. Turn the pot every half an hour. It will take about two to four hours. Since the meat is cooked slowly, the oil layer tightly covers the broth, and all the condiments in the pot can be absorbed into the meat, so the meat tastes delicious. This is the key to making Chaigoubao bacon. When smoking, drain all the oil and soup, put it on the iron grate, put three to four ounces of cypress sawdust in the iron pot under the iron grate, cover the pot, and heat it over slow fire for fifteen minutes, then it is out of the pot. This is how it is made. The Chaigoubao bacon produced has excellent color, aroma and taste, and is deeply loved by eaters.

First cook the meat in boiling water, remove it and cut it into cubes. Add oil to the pot and add an appropriate amount of sugar. Then add the meat and stir-fry. Finally add water and add other seasonings. Bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the meat is cooked through, then remove from the pot and serve in a bowl.