Entering China
Dear Treasures!
In the kitchen of the fireworks world, there are always some ingredients that need to be tempered by time before they can shine. How can dried beef, the most delicious taste in the world that spans thousands of years, be rejuvenated on the modern stove? Today, we’re going to unveil the cooking code of “cook and stir-fry” and let this traditional dish take on the taste of the tongue.
1. The way of cooking: awaken the sleeping texture
“Qi Min Yaoshu” cloud: “The method of preserved wax, first boil and then dry.” The past and present life of dried beef are already accompanied by boiling.
1. Water is the medium to break the ice
Dried beef is sun-dried, and the fibers are as tight as the strings of a guqin. The moment the cold water is put into the pot, it is just like the Boya drum and piano meeting the bosom friend, and the water molecules are like smart musical notes, slowly seeping into the texture. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer slowly, until the soup becomes darker like amber and the beef fiber stretches like willow branches in early spring, which is the oriental philosophy of “overcoming rigidity with softness”.
2. Cleanse the dust and show the truth
The cooking process is like Taoist practice, and the smell of impurities dissipates with the rise of foam. “Compendium of Materia Medica” contains: “The water is the essence of heaven and earth.” Between the boiling water, the breath of thousands of years of wind and sand fades, leaving only the mellow and fresh aroma of beef. Jiangnan chefs are well versed in this, and ginger slices and green onions must be added to boiled beef, just like the friendship of gentlemen is as light as water, and the true chapter is seen only when the turnip is saved.
2. The method of stir-frying: igniting the sleeping soul
“Suiyuan Food List” said: “Stir-frying, burst in the fire and promote its fragrance.” The dried beef that is boiled and then fried is like a sword out of the box, and the edge is sharp.
1. Knife work is like a pen, painting landscapes
Boiled soft beef needs to be sliced while the situation is sliced, and the knife work is “as thin as a cicada’s wings and shaped like a willow leaf”. Wang Xiaoyu, a famous chef in the Qing Dynasty, once said: “The way to cure meat is in the knife, not in the fire.” When cutting meat, the blade and texture are at a 45-degree angle, and the pieces are as transparent as rice paper, which is the craftsman spirit of “if you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools”.
2. Stir-fry on high heat, nine turns exquisite
The iron pot is as hot as red practice, and the cold oil slides like Tai Chi. The green onion, ginger and garlic are stir-fried instantly, and the beef slices are like a glimpse into the pot. The martial fire promotes the aroma of meat, the cooking wine is fishy like dust, and the soy sauce is colored like danqing. When the edge of the meat slice is slightly rolled into amber, sprinkle in the green and red pepper shreds, just like green leaves and saffron, the color and flavor are complete.
3. The wonder of heat: the art of grasping proportion
1. Cooking heat: the way of civil and martial arts, one piece and one relaxation
Boiling beef is like governing a big country, and it needs to be simmered for three hours to let the time precipitate the taste. “Lu’s Spring and Autumn Period” cloud: “The foundation of all tastes, water is the beginning.” After the water boils, turn to low heat, leave the seam of the pot lid like meditation, and between the water vapor circulation, the beef absorbs the essence of heaven and earth.
2. Stir-frying: Thunder and fleeting
Stir-fried beef is like splashing ink, and it needs to be fried quickly without losing focus. When the oil noodles in the iron pot rise green smoke, the meat slices are like thousands of horses galloping into the pot, and the sound of “zila” is like a pipa rushing between stir-frying. The seasoning should be quick, and the salt and sugar are like the game of Go, and the precise entry is wonderful.
4. Dialogue between the past and the present: cultural inheritance in gastronomy
The cooking wisdom of dried beef is in line with the way of “change” in “Zhou Yi”. Boiled for yin, fried for yang, yin and yang are delicious. As Su Dongpo said: “The best taste in the world is pure joy.” This seemingly crude dish actually hides the philosophy of “big taste and simplicity”.
1. The gift of nomadic civilization
The origin of dried beef can be traced back to the Xiongnu Iron Cavalry, and the air-drying technique allows meat to cross time and space. “Historical Records” contains: “The customs of the Huns, if they are wide, they will follow the animals, and if they are urgent, they will learn to attack in battle.” This dried meat, once a grain and grass on horseback, is now a delicacy on the table.
2. The sublimation of agrarian civilization
The chef of the Central Plains combined nomadic techniques with agricultural wisdom to invent the method of cooking and then frying. The “Complete Book of Agricultural Administration” records: “The beauty of preserved food lies in the method of cooking.” This improvement has transformed dried beef from a satisfying object to a work of art.
5. Practical Guide: Cultivation in the Kitchen
1. How to choose meat
Choosing beef tendon meat is like choosing a good horse, you need to look at its texture. The flesh of the fine tendons is red and white like marble, and the fingers are elastic when pressed. As the saying goes: “Good meat produces good breasts.” If the material is wrong, the technique is difficult to save.
2. The three elements of cooking
- Water volume: not more than the three fingers of beef, such as a gentleman’s friendship to leave room
- Heat: Martial arts first and then literature, such as the strange art of war
- Time: Three hours is best, if you are enlightened, you need to endure loneliness
3. The four-step method of stir-frying
Heat the pan with cold oil→ stir-fry the ingredients→ the meat slices and → season out of the pan
Each step is like calligraphy and brushwork, and the real chapter is seen between the beginning and the end.
6. Food Wisdom: The Philosophy of Life in Food
The culinary wisdom of dried beef is just like the practice of life. Boiling is precipitation, frying is exploding; First slow and then fast, first soft and then rigid. As “Caigen Tan” said: “Don’t be shocked by the humiliation, watch the flowers bloom and fall in front of the court; Go and stay unintentionally, wandering with the clouds outside the sky. ”
In the fast-paced city life, cook a pot of dried beef and let time slow down. Look at the water vapor, listen to the grease singing, and taste the agarwood of the years. This is not only a taste enjoyment, but also a healing of the soul.
Click to pay attention, and you can’t finish reading the life encyclopedia. In the days to come, we will continue to explore the wisdom of life hidden in the fireworks, so that every home-cooked dish will become a cultural inheritance.
