1. Preparation of brine

One recipe

25 grams of star anise, 15 grams of cinnamon, 15 grams of cumin, 15 to 25 grams of licorice, 10 grams of sannai, 10 grams of ganoderma 3~ 5 grams of pepper, 20 grams of amomum villosum, 10 grams of cardamom, 5 grams of grass fruit, 15 grams of cloves, 5 to 15 grams of ginger, 100 grams of green onions, 150 grams of Shaoxing wine, 100 grams of rock sugar, 350 to 500 grams of MSG, 15 grams of refined salt, 350 to 500 grams of fresh soup, 5000 grams of refined 2 gauze bags with 50 grams of oil

Two preparations

1. Combine star anise, cinnamon, fennel, licorice, sannai, manganese, pepper, Amomum villosum, cardamom and grass fruit Divide , cloves and cloves into two parts, put them into loose gauze bags respectively and tie the mouth of the bag tightly with a string; wash the ginger and pat it into pieces; wash and tie the onions with their roots.

2. Roast the large pieces of rock sugar on the fire, then place it on the cutting board and gently crush it. Then add it to the pot with the refined oil and stir-fry over low heat until it turns deep red. , add 500 grams of boiling water and mix well until it turns into sugar color.

3. Put the pot on the fire, add 5000 grams of fresh soup, add ginger and green onions, add refined salt, monosodium glutamate and sugar color, then add the spice bag, bring to a boil and slowly reduce to low heat. When the aroma is overflowing, it becomes fresh brine.

Three issues that need attention

1? When frying the sugar color, it must be stir-fried slowly over low heat, and the sugar color should be slightly tender, otherwise the fried sugar color will have a bitter taste.

2. Brine prepared according to traditional methods usually does not add MSG. However, because most fresh brine is not delicious enough, and in recent years people seem to have higher and higher requirements for umami, so when preparing it, An appropriate amount of MSG can also be added during the process. It should be noted that adding MSG to the brine will not cause any side effects, because MSG will only produce sodium pyroglutate at temperatures above 160°C and lose its flavor, and the temperature when the brine boils generally does not exceed 105°C.

3. Tender sugar color should generally be added to the brine, so that the brine will have a sweet taste. After adding the tender sugar color, you can no longer add licorice. But from the perspective of medicinal properties, licorice has the effect of harmonizing various flavors and improving freshness. Therefore, after adding sugar color, you can still consider adding a little licorice to the brine.

4. Cloves contain eugenol, which has a strong smell. The dosage can be adjusted according to the specific situation. Generally speaking, the amount of cloves used in 5000 grams of fresh soup should be controlled between 5 and 15 grams.

5. The roots of the green onions used to make the brine should be retained, which can make the brine taste more fragrant. This is the experience imparted to the author by a master who has made brine for many years.

6. Sugar color is added to the above brine formula, and the color is brownish red, which is called red brine. If the sugar color in the formula is removed, it becomes white brine. In addition, some people like to add dried chili peppers to the brine, which turns it into a spicy brine.

2. How to use and store brine

Use of brine

1. All animal raw materials need to be brine treated before brine. Otherwise, if the raw materials are put into the pot directly, the brine will be reduced sharply, causing the dishes to taste too salty.

2. A pot of good brine should often brine animal raw materials with strong umami flavor, so as to increase the fresh flavor of the brine. There is a saying called "the older the brine is, the better", and this is what it says.

3. Pork, chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, and other raw materials with strong aroma should be brine separately from beef, mutton and various animals with strong smell, such as sausage raw materials. , to ensure the quality of brine and brine dishes.

4. During use, you should always check the color, aroma, saltiness and adequacy of the soup, etc. If you find that there is a decrease in any aspect, you should make up for it in time, which is what we often call " Whatever is missing, make up for it."

Storage of dibrine

1? After the brine has been used for a period of time, a small amount of raw material or spice residue will be left. At this time, it needs to be filtered to ensure that the brine is quality.

2? After repeated use of brine, the soup will become thicker. Although it has been filtered, it still needs to be "cleaned", that is, after mixing clean animal blood with clean water, slowly add it to the boil. In the brine, this is to use the adsorption and coagulation effect of protein to absorb the impurities in the brine to make the brine clear. For those who are particular about it, lean minced meat is used to "clean" the brine. However, it should be noted that each pot of brine should not be cleaned too many times to prevent the brine from losing its fresh flavor.

3. The floating oil in the brine should be removed frequently. It is best to leave only a thin layer of "oil surface" on the surface of the brine. Otherwise, too much oil will easily cause the brine to deteriorate due to oxidative deterioration of fat.

4. When the brine is not in use, it should be boiled and placed in an enamel bucket to allow it to cool naturally, and do not shake it at will. In addition, bricks should be placed at the bottom of the barrel to maintain ventilation at the bottom. If it is summer, the brine must be boiled every day. If conditions permit, it can also be stored in a cold storage. When the brine is not used for a long time, it should be taken out of the cold storage and boiled, and then placed in the storage after cooling.

The above is just the author’s experience and understanding of making Sichuan-style brine. But cooking is a science of change, so when preparing Sichuan-style brine, readers should flexibly master the ingredients and preparation methods of the brine according to the specific situation, so as to prepare a satisfactory brine.

Food Ingredients: 600g pork belly, 250g clear oil, 25g star anise, 15g cinnamon, 15-25g cumin, 10g licorice, 10g sanye, 3-5g sweet root, 20g pepper, 10g amomum villosum, 5g cardamom , 15g grass fruit, 5~15g cloves, 100g ginger, 150g green onions, 100g Shaoxing wine, 100~200g soy sauce, 350~500g rock sugar, 15g MSG, 350~500g refined salt, 5000g fresh soup, 2 gauze bags. Braised medicine package formula: star anise, cinnamon, fennel, licorice, sanye, carrot, pepper, Amomum villosum, cardamom, grass fruit, cloves.

Brine production

1. Divide the brine package formula into two parts, put them into loose gauze bags respectively and tie the mouth of the bag tightly with a string; wash the ginger and smash it; cut the green onions to the roots Must be washed and tied. 2. Roast the large pieces of rock sugar over the fire first, then place it on the cutting board and gently crush it, then put it into the pot with the refined oil, stir-fry over low heat until it turns dark red, then add 500 grams of boiling water and stir Evenly, it will become sugar color. 3. Put the pot on the fire, add 5000 grams of fresh soup, add ginger and green onions, add refined salt, monosodium glutamate and sugar color, then add the spice bag, bring to a boil and then use low heat to slowly simmer until the fragrance overflows. Serve as fresh brine. Things to note: 1. When frying the sugar color, it must be stir-fried slowly over low heat, and the sugar color should be slightly tender, otherwise the fried sugar color will have a bitter taste. 2. Brine prepared according to traditional methods usually does not add MSG. However, since most fresh brine lacks umami flavor, and people’s requirements for umami taste seem to have become higher and higher in recent years, MSG can also be added in appropriate amounts during the preparation process. MSG. It should be noted that adding MSG to the brine will not cause any side effects, because MSG will only produce sodium pyroglutate at temperatures above 160°C and lose its flavor, and the temperature when the brine boils generally does not exceed 105°C. 3. Tender sugar color should generally be added to the brine, so that the brine will have a sweet taste. After adding the tender sugar color, you can no longer add licorice. But from the perspective of medicinal properties, licorice has the effect of harmonizing various flavors and improving freshness. Therefore, after adding sugar color, you can still consider adding a little licorice to the brine. 4. Cloves contain eugenol, which has a strong smell. The dosage can be adjusted according to the specific situation. Generally speaking, the amount of cloves used in 5000 grams of fresh soup should be controlled between 5 and 15 grams. 5. The roots of green onions used to make brine should be retained, which can make the brine taste more fragrant. 6. Sugar color is added to the above brine formula, and the color is brownish red, which is called red brine. If the sugar color in the formula is removed, it becomes white brine. In addition, some people like to add dried chili peppers to the brine, which turns it into a spicy brine.

Making Braised Pork

1. Prepare a clay pot. Do not use metal containers to make braised pork. Use clay pots to cook braised pork. The braised meat must be boiled first.

2. Add the brine from above to submerge the meat, then add soy sauce (not too much at first, it depends on the color of the meat, mainly for color adjustment), half a pound of clear oil (oil must be added, otherwise the stewed meat will look like water) Boil), add appropriate amount of salt, put the marinade bag in, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat to release the flavor. 3. Because the medicine contains rotten meat, it should not be boiled hard. For example, 1 hour is enough for beef, and shorter time for other meats. Prick the meat with chopsticks. If the meat is rotten, take it out and enjoy. (Remember to boil the pot and fish out the meat before removing it from the heat. Fishing in a cold pot may spoil the soup). 4. One medicine can be stewed many times. When it tastes no longer or the medicine tastes weak, take out the old medicine bag and replace it with a new medicine (note that the soup cannot be changed when changing medicine). Cook the meat several times a year and don’t need to change the soup for 3-5 years, the older the better. Note when using: 1. Pork and chicken, duck, goose, rabbit and other raw materials with strong fragrance should be brine separately from beef, mutton and various animals with strong smell, such as sausage raw materials, to ensure that Quality of brine and marinated dishes. 2. During use, always check the color, aroma, saltiness and adequacy of the soup, etc. of the brine. If any decrease in any aspect is found, make up for it in time. [1]

Preparation of several special braised pork

Large, medium and small

A simple way to stir-fry braised pork with fragrant sauce

Ingredients: 200 grams of pork belly, 10 grams each of ginger, garlic, and green onions. 2 bottles of brine, 10 grams of XO sauce, gram of sesame oil.

Production process:

1. Boil the brine in a pot, wash the pork belly, cut into large strips, put it in the brine, brine until cooked, remove and slice, ginger, Mince the garlic and cut the green onion into flowers.

2. Heat oil in a pot, add ginger and garlic, stir-fry with braised pork until golden brown.

3. When the braised pork is fried until golden, add XO sauce and chopped green onion, stir-fry several times, pour in sesame oil and serve.

How to make braised pork - -

1. One pound of beautiful pork belly, cut into thin slices and set aside

2. Heat oil in a wok Finally, add garlic slices and a few peppercorns and saute until fragrant, then add pork belly and stir-fry

3. Add one star anise, one strawberry, one piece of cinnamon, add some dark soy sauce, add salt and sugar and stir-fry Stir-fry

4. Add enough water, bring to a boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for more than an hour until the pork belly is tender.

Pork braised with lotus leaves and tofu

Ingredients: pork belly with skin, lotus leaves, tofu braised

Ingredients: brown sugar, salt, oil, soy sauce

Method:

1. Wash the pork belly and cut it into pieces (about 10cm*10cm square)

2. Mix the tofu marinade, sugar and salt thoroughly and wait until use.

3. Boil water, blanch the meat first, take it out, then apply soy sauce on the skin side, heat the oil pan, and fry the washed and cubed pork belly. (It’s better to change the color, don’t burn it)

4. After the meat is cool, cut it into thin slices, and spread the prepared sauce between each two slices.

5. Wash the lotus leaves, spread them in a bowl and put the meat on top. Steam until cooked. After taking it out of the pot, just put it on the plate together with the lotus leaves.

Braised pork

Ingredients: Do not peel the pork belly, wash and cut into pieces, a bottle of rice wine (the size of an ordinary wine bottle), three or four star anise, some Sichuan peppercorns, light soy sauce , dark soy sauce, sugar, ginger slices

Method:

1. Heat the oil, add the ginger slices and stir-fry briefly, then add the meat and stir-fry. Stir-frying the meat takes a long time, mainly to release the oil from the meat. Stir-fry for about 8 minutes, until the meat looks slightly elastic. But don't let the meat get mushy.

2. Put the meat on one side of the pot, add star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, continue to stir-fry for about 1 to 2 minutes, and then add about two tablespoons of sugar. About two to three tablespoons of light soy sauce. The amount of dark soy sauce depends on the color.

After all the ingredients are put in, stir-fry for a while

3. Pour all the meat and ingredients stir-fried in the iron pot into the clay pot, and pour in a bottle of rice wine, or the amount of rice wine will just cover the meat. Accurate

4. Put the clay pot on the fire, turn it on and then turn down the heat and cook slowly, it will take about 1 hour to an hour and a half. After cooking for about half an hour, turn it over from time to time

5. Wait until the soup is thicker

Another method

Buy the meat, wash it, cut it into the size of a matchbox, and stir-fry it in a hot pan until there is no moisture and the oil is the best.

First add a large piece of rock sugar (white sugar is also acceptable), stir-fry slowly, wait until all the sugar has melted and coated the meat, and the meat is shiny, add some dark soy sauce (in order to highlight the color (son), add soy sauce. Stir-fry until every piece of meat is evenly coated with soy sauce.

At this time, throw a piece of chopped ginger into the pot, a whole green onion cut into segments, four or five cloves, and one or two aniseed (star anise), and you can toss it as you like. , when the aroma comes out, cook some wine, add water to cover the meat and enjoy yourself.

Turn on high heat, bring to a boil, then turn to low heat, cover, and simmer for less than an hour. The water in the pot is almost dry, and you can serve it out. Taste first to see if it tastes good. If it's sweet and salty, collect the soup and put it on a plate.