Why don’t you add Sichuan peppercorns to stewed pork, and don’t add any seasonings to stewed mutton?

Why can’t you put Sichuan peppercorns in stewed pork?

First of all, let me tell you why you can’t put Sichuan peppercorns in stewed pork. Do you still know how the famous Dongpo Pork is made? Not only does it not use Sichuan peppercorns, but it also does not include aniseed and cinnamon. It only needs to be "slowly heated, with less water, and it will be beautiful when the heat is sufficient."

Of course, I have personally verified the saying "Pigs are not peppery". When I stewed the pork, I deliberately put a handful of Sichuan peppercorns into it. As a result, the stewed pork was indeed much inferior. The lean meat tasted like chewing wax, and the aroma of the meat also disappeared a lot.

There are exceptions to the fact that you cannot add Sichuan peppercorns to stewed pork. For example, you can add Sichuan peppercorns to wild boar meat when stewing. It will not affect the taste and aroma of wild boar meat, but you must wrap the Sichuan peppercorns before use.

Why can’t you add more ingredients to mutton stew?

I have not verified the old saying “Sheep does not expect it” because my master has never taught me to let it go since I became an apprentice. Aniseed, when making stewed mutton, Sichuan peppercorns are used to remove the mutton and improve the freshness (see "You must add Sichuan peppercorns when making stewed mutton"). When adding Sichuan peppercorns, you cannot add them directly. You must wrap the Sichuan peppercorns with ingredients and wait for the mutton to stew. After it's done, take out the material bag.

When making mutton stew, onions and ginger are essential, as well as an appropriate amount of cooking wine, but aniseed is never added. Master has said that if aniseed is added to the mutton stew, the color of the soup will turn black, the appearance will be lost, and the taste will not be that good. It is better not to add it. If you see anyone adding it, it must be a layman. .