He can cook his own dishes, and he is very good at burning meat. Many of his famous poems, such as Eating Pork, Gourmet Fu, Ding Gongmo's Send the Goose, Bean Pork and Soup, all reflect his strong interest in food cooking.
It is said that "Dongpo Meat" originated in Xuzhou. In April, the tenth year of Xining in Song Shenzong (1077), Su Shi went to Xuzhou to be the magistrate. On July 7th, the Yellow River burst in the area around Caocunleng, Yizhou, and the flood besieged Xuzhou on August 21st. Su Shi died by himself, leading the forbidden military camp and the people of the whole city to fight floods and build dikes to protect the city. After more than 70 days and nights of hard work, Xuzhou City was finally saved.
All the people in the city rejoiced, and they slaughtered pigs and sheep one after another, carrying wine and vegetables to the government to comfort them. Su Shi couldn't refuse. After accepting it, he personally instructed his family to make braised pork and gave it back to the people who participated in the flood control. After eating, the people all felt that the meat was fat but not greasy, crisp and delicious, and unanimously called it "giving back meat." Since then, "giving back meat" has spread around 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 Cuisine.
In the third year of Yuanfeng (A.D. 1080), on February 1st, Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou as an assistant of Yong ying. During his stay in Huangzhou, he personally cooked braised pork and wrote his experience in the poem "Eating Pork": "Huangzhou is good, the price is as low as dirt, the rich refuse to eat, and the poor don't understand cooking. Slow down the fire, less water, and it will be beautiful when the fire is full. Come and play a bowl early every day, and you will be full of your own control. " This dish didn't have a name at that time. ?
Sushi's braised pork was named "Dongpo Meat" after its name, and it was really famous all over the country, when Sushi was a satrap for the second time in Hangzhou. At that time, most of the West Lake had been wiped out by weeds. After he took office, he organized migrant workers to eradicate weeds, dredge lakes and build bridges, which restored the West Lake's appearance and increased scenic spots.
The people in Hangzhou are very grateful to him. I heard that he likes braised pork best at ordinary times, so many people come to deliver pork in unison. After receiving a lot of pork, he asked his family to cut the meat into cubes, add seasoning and wine, simmer it with his cooking method and distribute it to the migrant workers who took part in dredging the West Lake. After eating, everyone praised the crispy meat for its delicious flavor, fat but not greasy, so people named it "Dongpo Meat" after him.