Pork pork pork pork…

Thank goodness, after half a year the translation, the pork chapter is finally done! As much as I love pork, I have to say I was getting really tired of translating all these recipes on it all the time. Needless to say, I am very much looking forwards to working on the "Assorted animals" section, …

Pork 43: Honeyed Ham (蜜火腿)

"Take a good ham and chop it into large chunks with its skin on and braise it in sweet wine until it is very soft and tender. This is an excellent dish. Note though, the differences between a good and bad ham are as great as the distances between the heavens and the ocean's abyss. …

Pork 42: Napa Cabbage Hearts Braised with Ham (黃芽菜煨火腿)

"Take a good ham and peel off its skin, remove the fat and reserve the meat. First braise the skin in chicken broth until tender, then add the meat of the ham and braise it until tender. Cut the napa cabbage hearts with the stem into 2 inch long pieces. Add the cabbage along with …

Pork 41: Yanggong Meatballs (楊公圓)

"The meatballs made in Yangming prefecture are as large as tea cups and are unsurpassed in delicateness and flavour. Served in a clear umami soup, these meatballs melt in the mouth. They are likely made from a mixture of half lean and half fatty pork with tendons and ligaments removed, minced finely and held together …

Pork 40: Three Pork Dishes from Duanzhou (端州三種肉)

"The first is Luosuo pork. The second is plain boiled pork tossed with sesame seeds and salt. The last is sliced and braised pork tossed with light soy sauce. These three dishes are great for home cooking. Chef Nie and Chef Yang of Duanzhou excel at making these three dishes. So much so, that I …

Pork 39: Luosuo Pork (羅蓑肉)

"Prepare this dish as one would minced chicken. Reserve the piece of skin on the pork and chop the lean meat taken from under it into a coarse mince. Season the minced pork and cook. This dish is a speciality of Chef Nie of Hangzhou." 持牲單::羅蓑肉 以作雞鬆法作之。存蓋面之皮。將皮下精肉斬成碎團，加作料烹熟。聶虛能之。 To make sense of what this dish is …

Pork 38: Ribs (排骨)

"Take sliced pork ribs with meat that is half lean and half fatty. Pull out the rib bones from the meat and stuff the cavities with stalks of green onion. Grill the ribs while constantly brushing with vinegar and soy sauce. Do not let the ribs be grilled too dry." 持牲單::排骨 取肋條排骨精肥各半者，抽去當中直骨，以蔥代之，炙用醋、醬，頻頻刷上，不可太枯。 Typical of the …

Pork 37: Roast Pork (燒豬肉)

"Roasting a whole pig requires above all, patience. The interior of the pig should be roasted first so the pork's fat is infused into the skin, making it tender, crisp, and full of flavour. However, if one should start by roasting the skin first, the fat between it and the meat will melt away and …

Pork 36: Roasted Suckling Pig (燒小豬)

"Take a suckling pig weighing six to seven jin, pull out any hairs, and scrub it clean of blood and filth. Skewer the pig and roast it on top of a charcoal fire. All sides of the pig must be evenly roasted until its skin is dark golden brown in colour. Slowly and continuously bast …

Pork 35: Bamboo Shoots Braised with Ham (筍煨火肉)

"Slice winter bamboo shoots and the dry-cured ham into square pieces and braise them together. Soaked the ham twice in water to rid it of salt, then add rock sugar and braise until soft. Official Xi Wushan indicated that if one has already braised the ham but wishes to save it for a meal the …