Delicious braised pork

My favorite thing when traveling is local traditional snacks.

Xi’an’s mutton steamed buns, Jiangyou’s braised pork intestines, Beijing’s braised pork belly... Most of these traditional snacks I like have two distinctive features. One is that they are deeply loved by the grassroots people, especially the working class Popular among the people, these snacks are mostly served in large bowls, enough to satisfy hunger; secondly, the closer to a street shop or restaurant, the more authentic the taste.

When I went to Beijing before, I ate steamed stuffed buns, stir-fried liver, deep-fried pancakes, tofu curd, Beijing noodles with soybean paste, coke rings, shredded pickles and bean juice. Don’t tell me, outsiders usually eat it when they come to Beijing. I couldn't drink the bean juice, so I drank a bowl of it and it felt good.

At noon that day, I passed by the entrance of Xisiba Tiao Hutong with my wife. My wife said that this small shop should be quite good. It was already past lunch time and there were still quite a few people there. Take a look at the signboard, "Braised Lu".

Stewed braised pork is one of the most famous snacks in Beijing. I haven’t tried it before, so I decided to try it.

The shop is as small as its name goes. From the outside, there is only one double door with a thick plastic curtain, and no windows. After entering, it looks like a mixed courtyard house in Beijing's Hutongs, with one building here and one building there, with ten or eight small tables placed in the extended space. Several diners seemed to be regular patrons. While eating and drinking, they chatted casually with the old man who was cleaning the table.

There happened to be an empty table, and the guests had just left. The two large bowls on the table seemed to be empty, with more than two-thirds left. What's going on? Is it not delicious when braised? But I've already entered the store, and I see the diners next to me eating with gusto, so I'll just take it as it comes.

It was my first time to eat braised pork. I didn’t even know how to order the dishes. I didn’t know what to eat and whether it was delicious or not. Come on, let’s have two bowls of braised food first. My wife said, haven’t you ordered the staple food yet? But the menu posted on the wall only has a few side dishes. After hesitating, the waiter at the counter answered, "Luzhuhuo is the staple food."

Look, Out, isn't it? Luzhu is the abbreviation of Luzhuhuo.

While waiting for the braised food to be processed, I looked at the wall of the shop. After looking at it, it didn't matter, I realized that although the shop is small, it is quite famous. Xuecun filmed a movie here, and even the god of food Chua Lam once visited this shop and praised its braised pork belly, enema, and sesame tofu.

After a while, two large bowls of steaming braised pork were served.

I didn’t even move my chopsticks, but looked at this bowl of braised food. It was red in color and fragrant. Turning over the chopsticks, you can see that there are pig intestines, pig lungs, and dried tofu. The knife skills are good, and the ones that should be cut into dices, those that should be cut into pieces, and those that should be cut into triangles are cut into triangles. After eating it with a few chopsticks, the pig intestines are soft and fragrant, but not the smelly and fragrant that ordinary pig intestines have, which shows that the pig intestines are neatly prepared; the pig lungs are tender and refreshing, with a slight crunch; and the roasted flavor is rich , tendons, seems to be the burning of noodles. There are chili oil, garlic juice, vinegar, and minced coriander on the table, which can be adjusted according to personal taste.

This bowl of braised pork belly was very satisfying and exciting. My wife and I each ate a bowl. We were both hungry and recognized the delicious braised pork.

It is said that braised pork originated from Nanheng Street outside Xuanwumen. This Nanheng Street runs east-west and is two to three miles long. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most of them were guild halls from various places, that is, places where the Beijing offices gathered together. Further on, this area is mostly where ordinary people live.

The Jianghu story tells that the predecessor of braised pork was Su Zao Pork in the imperial palace. Later, when the emperor stepped down, the imperial chef went to the common people and set up stalls in the market to sell Su Zao Pork. But the meat was expensive and the common people ate it. I couldn't afford it, and the meat couldn't be sold, so I replaced Su Zao Pork with cheap pork intestines, lungs, heart, liver, etc., with thick sauce, heavy braise, and some The Chinese herbal medicines and seasonings used to enhance the flavor will, over time, create a pot of fragrant old soup and a famous name.

Speaking of braised pork belly, Gao Xiaosong said this: “Whenever my friends come to Beijing and want to eat a Manchu-Han banquet, I take them directly to eat braised pork, because there is no such thing as a Manchu-Han banquet in the world, and I love it the most. The best Beijing dish is braised duck.”

To be honest, Beijing not only has roast duck, but also braised duck. The stew is really delicious.

It’s a pity this time that I haven’t tasted the enema, sesame tofu, and Su Zao Pork that Cai Lam praised, so I’ll have to leave it for next time.