The lion's head was originally called "sunflower chop meat". Legend has it that after the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Sui Dynasty. Emperor Yang Di sailed to the south, and hundreds of officials came all the way to pay tribute. Only Yangzhou's "sunflower chop meat" was praised by Emperor Yang-ti. I saw that the huge meat garden was made of sunflower, and its shape was exquisite, like "lion head", so it was named "stewed lion head". After the story spread, dignitaries from all over the world rushed to taste it, so it became famous all over the world.
How can I miss it as a super foodie? Before my wife and I got married, I made a special trip to Yangzhou to taste this traditional food. Sitting in a century-old shop near the Slender West Lake, I have tasted all kinds of Huaiyang dishes, except this stewed lion head. Attendant explained: limited supply.
So I have been thinking about planting the seeds of hope, but I have never been able to do it. I once asked a good friend of Yangzhou what it was like to stew lion's head. Answer: It's just cooking meatballs. Yangzhou people can do it. Just like I asked him, is married life happy? He would reply, "It's just rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea".
After many years, my life has also changed. Open your eyes every day to discuss houses, cars, children, tickets, overtime, business trips, taking care of children, endlessly. So tired, so tired. It really became a daily necessities sauce vinegar tea. Coupled with the uncontrollable weight, I believe that this "stewed lion head" is just a "boiled meatball".
Last Friday night, my wife was away on a business trip. After 10 in the evening, my daughter fiddled with small pieces of paper and refused to sleep. Ask her what she is doing and answer that she is making a birthday present for her mother. Damn, I forgot such an important thing. When my wife got home at noon the next day, it was too late to prepare gifts. Why don't you cook a big meal at home to celebrate?
What shall we do? Open the refrigerator and find a good piece of pork belly. I had a brainwave. Why not try stewing lion's head?
So I searched online for recipes and just found the teaching video of Huaiyang cuisine master. Hey, this ingredient is really simple: pork belly, Chinese cabbage, rape, salt, sugar, pepper, onion and ginger cooking wine, all at home. So I got up early the next day and started to work.
The first step is to cut the meat, yes, you can't go to the cooking machine, you have to cut it with a knife. First, evenly cut into thick slices, then cut into strips in turn, and finally cut into pomegranate seed-sized meat by 998 1 knife.
Step 2: Beat: put the meat into the pot, add proper amount of salt, sugar and pepper in turn and mix well, then add onion and ginger cooking wine water in several times and beat. Water quantity is very critical. If there is more, it will be scattered, and if there is less, it will be dry. I can only try and try with the electronic scale. After that, it took more than ten minutes of hard stirring and beating to hold the meat together. After a meal, my arms are weak and I am sweating.
Step 3: stew meat: put the casserole in clear water and boil it, not boil it. Put cabbage leaves at the bottom, add ginger slices and onion knots. Knead the minced meat into a fist-sized garden with both hands, beat it hard repeatedly in your hands and cook it carefully. After covering the cabbage leaves and the pot cover, simmer for three hours, during which the oil on the surface is skimmed several times.
At this time, my wife also arrived home. The daughter jumped on her excitedly and gave her a homemade birthday present. The wife was all smiles. At this time, pick out the leaves of onion, ginger and cabbage, put on the soaked rape makeup, and serve.
Open the lid, it smells good. The soup is clear and transparent, and the lion's head is bright and full. Scoop a spoonful and tremble slightly, and the mouth will melt, fat but not greasy; After swallowing, it moistens the heart and spleen, has a sweet aftertaste and leaves a fragrance on the lips and teeth. The wife exclaimed, is this the legendary national banquet dish "stewed lion's head" My daughter danced and said it was the best dish she had ever eaten.
I nodded, yes. This is in strict accordance with the standards of the state banquet master step by step. In a flash, the room was full of joy, and the fatigue of the past had already faded.
At this moment, I finally understand the difference between national banquet dishes and home-cooked dishes-that is, 100% care+100% dedication, only for the most important people. Even the most common ingredients, the most common practices, combined with this effort and dedication, can also become a world-famous braised lion head.
Friends here, do you have the most important person? Do you also want to give this "stewed lion head" to TA?
-Published in 200211018 Jinying Club Regular Meeting.