Legend has it that it was written by Su Dongpo, a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty (Meishan, Sichuan). Dongpo meat originated from Huanggang, Hubei Province. 1080, Su Dongpo went into exile in Huanggang, where pigs were plentiful and meat was cheap, so he came up with this method of eating meat.

Zhou Zizhi, a native of Song Dynasty, recorded in Zhupo Poetry: "Dongpo likes pigs by nature. When he was in Huanggang, he tasted Dongpo meat and wrote a poem "Eat Pork": "Slow fire, less water, warm and beautiful. Get up and play a bowl every day, so full that I don't even care about my husband. " "

Later, Su Dongpo came back from Huangzhou on 1085, and often returned to the capital Kaifeng to work in the imperial court. Soon after, he was excluded and asked to be transferred to Hangzhou as the satrap in 1089, which developed Huangzhou's experience of burning meat into Dongpo meat. As a delicacy of the Han nationality, it became popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

Dongpo pork was made in memory of Dongpo, not created by Su Dongpo himself. The prototype of Dongpo meat is Xuzhou meat appreciation, which is one of the four treasures of Dongpo in Xuzhou. In the autumn of the tenth year of Xining in northern Song Shenzong (1077), the Yellow River burst and the flood lasted for more than 70 days.

Su Shi, a well-known person in Xuzhou, personally led the city's officials to fight floods, finally defeated the floods, and built the "Su Causeway" the following year. The people thanked Su Dongpo for serving the people, killing pigs and sheep in succession, and taking wine and vegetables to the state capital to thank Su Gong. Su Gong couldn't refuse, so he disposed of the meat and returned it to the people.

Su Dongpo's cook the meat's method can be seen in his "Stewed Meat Song": "Slow fire, little water, firewood can't afford it, don't rush it when it is cooked, and it will be beautiful when the heat is enough." "Back to the meat" is characterized by fresh alcohol, oil but not greasy. Su Dongpo left four famous dishes in Xuzhou, including pork, golden toad playing with pearls, five-way chicken and drunken green shrimp. Later generations called these four dishes "Dongpo Four Treasures". ?

Nowadays, in the restaurants on the streets of Xuzhou, you can still taste Dongpo meat with endless aftertaste. Dongpo Meat was first created in Xuzhou. "Famous Cuisine of Xuzhou in Ancient and Modern Times" records that when Su Shi was well-known in Xuzhou, the Yellow River burst, and Su Shi took the lead in building dikes to protect the city with the people of the whole city.

The people in Xuzhou slaughtered pigs and sheep and went to the government to comfort them. Su Shi could not refuse, so he instructed his family to cook braised pork to give back to the people. After eating it, people feel fat but not greasy, crisp and delicious, so they call it "back meat." When Su Shi demoted Huangzhou, he wrote a song "Cooking Meat": "Huangzhou pork is good, and its price is as cheap as dirt. The rich refuse to eat, and the poor don't know how to cook. Reduce the fire, release less water, and the firepower will be beautiful.

People began to imitate each other and nicknamed it "Dongpo Meat". When Su Shi was appointed as the second magistrate of Hangzhou, he made great contributions to dredging the West Lake. When everyone gave him wine and meat to celebrate the New Year, Su Shi ordered pork and wine to be cooked for migrant workers. His family mistakenly thought that rice wine was cooked with pork, but everyone felt crisper and more delicious after eating it. The reputation of "Dongpo Meat" slowly spread all over the country.

Su Shi was a famous great writer in the Northern Song Dynasty. He is not only profound in poetry and books, but also a gourmet in ancient China. He is also very good at cooking, especially at making braised pork.

The meat returned is braised pork created by Su Shi during his stay in Xuzhou. In April of the tenth year of Xining in Song Shenzong, Su Shi went to Xuzhou.

On July 7, the Yellow River burst in Caocun, Zhuozhou. By August 2 1 day, Xuzhou was surrounded by floods with a water level as high as 20 feet. Su Shi committed suicide, joined the Dutch army, led the imperial barracks, and built dikes to protect the city with the people of the whole city. After more than 70 days and nights of hard struggle, Xuzhou City was finally saved.

Everyone in the city is very happy. In order to thank the well-known leaders who lived and died with the people of Xuzhou, they slaughtered pigs and sheep one after another and brought wine and vegetables to the government to comfort them. Su Shi can't refuse. After accepting it, he personally instructed his family to make braised pork and gave it back to people who participated in the flood control. After eating, the people all feel that the meat is fat but not greasy, crisp and delicious, and unanimously call it "back meat."

Since then, "back meat" has spread all over Xuzhou and become a traditional dish in Xuzhou. This is recorded in Xuzhou literature and history materials, Xuzhou scenery records and Xuzhou ancient and modern famous dishes. On February 1st, the third year of Yuanfeng, Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou and served as Ying Yong's deputy envoy. He cultivated the land himself, so he called this place "Dongpo lay man". This is the origin of Su Dongpo.

During his stay in Huangzhou, he personally cooked braised pork and wrote his own experience in Eating Pork Poetry. Sushi's braised pork in Xuzhou and Huangzhou has only local influence and is not well-known in the whole country. The really famous braised pork in China is the Dongpo pork when Su Shi came to Hangzhou for the second time.

On the third day of July in the fourth year of Yuan Dynasty, Su Shi came to Hangzhou, where he had been away for fifteen years. During May and June of the fifth year of Yuan Dynasty, heavy rain fell in western Zhejiang, Taihu Lake flooded and crops were flooded in a large area. Because Su Shi took effective measures as early as possible, the people in western Zhejiang passed through the most difficult period. He organized migrant workers to dredge the West Lake and build dikes and bridges to make it look brand-new.

The people of Hangzhou are very grateful to Su Shi for this kind act. Everyone praised him as a wise official. I heard that he liked pork best when he was in Xuzhou and Huangzhou, so when China New Year came, everyone brought pigs and wine to pay a New Year call to him.

After receiving it, Su Shi instructed his family to cut the meat into cubes, burn it red and crisp, and then distribute it to the migrant workers who took part in dredging the West Lake. Everyone was surprised after eating it. The meat he sent was affectionately called "Dongpo Meat". Tracing back to the source, Su Shi's braised pork was first created in Xuzhou, further improved in Huangzhou, and enjoys a good reputation in Hangzhou.

Extended data:

Now Dongpo meat is very delicious, fat and thin, fat but not greasy, soft and waxy, which melts in the mouth and tastes delicious with cooking wine and seasonings.

But Su Dongpo's Dongpo meat was not so delicious at that time. At that time, Dongpo meat was boiled and salted. I'm sure I can't eat without so much seasoning, but it's already a very good thing for those people in the Song Dynasty. Therefore, the real Dongpo pork made by Su Dongpo is cheap pork sold at a low price in the market, and then cooked with clear water.

Dongpo meat with a slight taste began in the Ming Dynasty. I chose the best pork, which should be fat and thin. When cooking, I also added a lot of seasonings, sugar, soy sauce and cooking wine. The water is not weak, but it tastes heavy. Dongpo meat of the Ming Dynasty is my acceptable Dongpo meat.

However, if Su Dongpo hadn't unlocked pork in the Song Dynasty, it might still be hidden in the snow. China's food culture has a long history and is profound. Thanks to Su Dongpo, we can have meat every day.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-special Dongpo meat