[ Barbecue]

eat meat

In an era where 'eating' is no longer just about satisfying hunger,

The "big trick" dish of the past when there was a shortage of clothing and food,

Sweet, oily, meaty

It seems that high-end diners have lost their "sexiness" in their mouths,

Sometimes it can make people feel bored from the eyes to the heart.

In my humble opinion,

At a banquet now,

If a lion's head does not have the blessing of a 'master',

It's usually not worth using chopsticks.

But Master Tao Xiaodong's lion head, every bite, is' understanding '. Good dishes are like people, they will improve over time.

The rebirth of a lion's head

He is the least talkative among the famous chef friends I know. Can you imagine? This new generation master from Huaiyang, in order to practice his swordsmanship, once cut dry silk in the vegetable market for two years. He is used to "saying what he has done". He is especially bold in making breakthroughs. For example, as early as a few years ago, he dared to take what most famous chefs believe - to strictly follow the traditional "big inaction" of Huaiyang Cuisine to change the "lion's head".

He insists that the original lion head, in order to obtain a delicate texture, usually had a half fat to half lean ratio for pork, but this appears too greasy for modern people. Tao Xiaodong quickly changed the ratio to fat three and lean seven. "By fully immersing pork in salted water, the taste can be adjusted. One pound of meat requires seven ounces of water," Tao Xiaodong said

In Tao Xiaodong's opinion, chefs just need more time to work with their heads covered, patience, study hard, and constantly improve in details, "especially for Huaiyang Cuisine". It is said that "a skillful woman cannot make a meal without rice". Huaiyang Cuisine is the best of the eight cuisines. There can be less swallow, abalone, fin belly, salt, soy sauce and vinegar! Compared with some major dishes, Huaiyang Cuisine pays more attention to the blending of flavors through spices and sauces. Huaiyang cuisine pays more attention to the use of the simplest and basic condiments, such as sugar, salt, soy sauce, to cook multi-level flavors, even if it is just a lion's head!

Previously, we needed to be "fat but not greasy", but now we also need to be "delicate but not fat". This requirement of "picking the bone in an egg" requires chefs to master precise ingredient and seasoning ratios, use fine craftsmanship, and have just the right amount of fire skills.

Let me talk about the characteristics of Huaiyang Cuisine. This successfully confirms the great universe inside a seemingly small "lion's head".

The two disciples of Master Tao must have a better understanding. One is Ye Mingjun, the head chef of the Overseas Chinese Town Store of Jiangsu Yangcheng Yiwei Catering Management Co., Ltd. (a national senior cook, a famous cook of Huaiyang Cuisine, and a commando of the New Long March in Yangzhou). One is Ma Yuming, the chief chef of Sanbadao Street of Jiangsu Yangcheng Yiwei Catering Management Co., Ltd. (senior cook, lecturer of Huaiyang Cuisine Lecture Hall, craftsman of Yangzhou Huaiyang Cuisine. He has participated in the shooting of CCTV, Jiangsu TV and other food programs for many times).

This time, they will perform a lucky cabbage lion head together with their strict master. Although they are currently among the famous chefs, seeing Master Tao's baby face that can't even be seen when he smiles, they still have a look of awe!

"Many unknown people will think that lion's head is just a few big meatballs, but to be as tender as tofu and melt at the mouth, the water intake and proportion of pork, as well as the steaming temperature and utensils are all very important. Without more than ten hours of effort, you can't make a good lion's head." They said that after years of experience, master Tao Xiaodong's speech can often wake up the dreamer with one word.

In order to further reduce the guilt of oil and make the "lion head" dance more lightly on the tongue, they used a different type of pork this time. This clever fusion of pork and water presents a new challenge!

The auspicious cabbage lion head in front of me has a soul, balancing freshness and engaging in conversation with diners.

Master Tao Xiaodong selects European pork belly and finely cuts and roughly chops the pork. In fact, the traditional classic dish Yangzhou Lion Head is hand cut with a knife, so it has a clear chewy texture. Master Tao Xiaodong completed the stewing of lion's head with broth, and finally added cabbage, adding the sweetness of Jiaodong cabbage to the rich and fresh flavor, removing greasiness and enhancing aroma. After I finished eating, I quickly pulled Master Tao to bring me the recipe.

Ingredients: European Irish pork belly, European Irish pork ribs, shrimp, Jiaodong cabbage leaves, scallions and ginger water, cooking wine.

Method: Peel the pork belly and keep it for later use. Cut the pork fat and lean meat into meat pieces in a ratio of 3:7 or 5:5, and float them in water; Stir the minced pork with scallion ginger water and cooking wine until it becomes minced meat, then refrigerate and let it stand for 12 hours; Take out the minced meat, add shrimp, and beat it into a ball shape; After blanching pork ribs and meat skins, put them into the boiling pot with Rice-meat dumplings, cover them with cabbage leaves, stew for 2.5 hours, and then put the lion's head wrapped in cabbage leaves and the filtered original soup into a container.

I think this dish is a perfect match for Yangzhou fried rice! What's more, I'm glad that Master Tao Xiaodong's Yangzhou fried rice doesn't need "overnight meal", and the meat in it can also use the pork in front of me. He said that Huaiyang Cuisine attaches great importance to not wasting food materials. For example, it is the idea of saving food materials to split and stew fish heads, boil soup with fish bones and skin, and make balls with fish meat. Yangzhou fried rice was originally created by chefs to deal with leftovers and leftovers. In the process of development, some ingredients were added to make it a famous dish. Therefore, if you want to cook a good Yangzhou fried rice, overnight meal is not the first choice.

Yangzhou fried rice is famous for the "broken gold rice" brought by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and it is famous in China along with the canal. In the Qing Dynasty, Yi Bingshou, the prefecture magistrate of Yangzhou fried rice (a Hakka from Ninghua, Fujian), was the golden trumpet. The chef of the Yi government added shrimp and barbecue, which were the staple food of salt merchants. Finally, this bowl of Yangzhou fried rice went to the world with the guests. Now, a new life has arrived in the hands of Master Tao Xiaodong.

In the eyes of Master Tao Xiaodong, it is only natural for Lion Head to keep up with the times!

Lion's head deserves better meat

I have always believed that "lion's head" will become increasingly popular because techniques, ingredients, and people are constantly advancing. Providing oneself and one's family with greener pork is not only a choice for foodies and famous chefs, but also a consensus among ordinary families! The concept of health in modern families has been put on the dining table due to special circumstances.

For example, I particularly value the ingredients that support sustainable agriculture. Europe has a long history of producing high-quality pork. Due to its long-term commitment to the excellent development of agriculture and food processing industries, the European Union is now a major center for pork production in the world and the largest net exporter of pork globally. The export standards are exceptionally high.

Master Tao Xiaodong also believes that European pork is the preferred choice because it truly achieves tender and lean meat without being greasy.

I researched and found the secret: European piglets have happy "pig births"!

The farm strictly complies with EU regulations, prohibits the use of any growth hormone, and has strict national database tracking and management of veterinary medication. Pigs are naturally curious and enjoy 'socializing' and 'exploration'. In order to protect their nature, farms often use special decorative materials to create a natural habitat environment, allowing piglets who enjoy foraging and exploration to grow freely and happily. In Ireland, farmers only feed their pigs with locally sourced high-quality grains and use only certified feed from reliable sources. Pigs are slaughtered at around six months of age to produce the freshest and most delicious pork products. This is the key factor for the European Irish pork to be tender, lean and not greasy.

On the basis of strict EU regulations, Ireland has implemented the "Origin Green" sustainable agricultural production plan nationwide, which controls the operation processes of all pig farms and processing plants to ensure reduced environmental impact and achieve and maintain the economic and ecological sustainability of agricultural production.

In 2012, the Irish government officially formulated and promulgated the world's first and only national level food sustainability plan - Origin Green. This plan adheres to pure natural and environmentally friendly modern food production rules, collaboratively controls greenhouse gas emissions, and strives to ensure the production of safe and high-quality food while protecting the ecological environment, achieving coordinated development of economy, environment, and society.

This project is the only national supported food development project in the world that balances safety, quality, and environmental protection in food production. Its core is to propose solutions to improve food safety and promote sustainable development through advanced scientific monitoring and third-party independent auditing of the entire food production process, and to assist farms and food producers in effectively implementing them, ultimately promoting the sustainable development of the entire food production chain.

According to the plan, almost all producers and processors across the country, as well as major retailers and catering companies, undergo an audit every 18 months to ensure they meet strict food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection, traceability, and sustainability standards. The Quality Assurance Program is one of the strictest national food standards in the world, ensuring safe and high-quality food production in Ireland.

The Quality Assurance Scheme of the Irish Food Authority has been implemented for over 20 years. Based on this, the Origin Green program proposes higher requirements. By using intelligent technology to help farms measure and track carbon emissions while ensuring food safety, it improves the production and management efficiency of farms and truly achieves sustainable development of food production.

The global food and beverage industry is facing enormous challenges, such as constantly changing climate, pollution of natural resources, and depletion of natural resources caused by the increasing demand for raw materials. In response to these challenges, the Origin Green initiative advocates for the establishment of infrastructure and frameworks to promote Ireland as a world leader in sustainable food and beverage production.

Since its establishment in 2012, the Origin Green program has completed over 117000 carbon emissions assessments for beef production and over 20000 carbon emissions assessments for dairy production on farms.

In 2020, 5.97 million tons of pork worth approximately 14.9 billion euros were exported from the European Union to the world. The EU maintains close trade relations with Asia, with China, Japan, and South Korea being the three most important markets for the EU in the region, accounting for over 60% of the EU's total pork exports.

I was fortunate to learn about the "European Pork and Poultry Project" jointly sponsored by the European Union and Ireland, which is committed to promoting high-quality European ingredients in the Chinese market and establishing market awareness and trust in the quality of European pork and poultry products. The Irish Food Authority is the official executing agency for the European Pork and Poultry Project in the Chinese market.

The safest thing for me about Irish pork in Europe is that it can be traced back throughout the entire process. Ireland, a Western European country, has a unique geographical location and its island terrain serves as a natural virus barrier, blocking the biological harm of foreign viruses to the Emerald Isle; At the same time, a strict pork quality assurance program ensures that the process of Irish pork from farm to table in Europe is transparent.

Pigs are bred and grown on the same farm, and when they leave the farm, they are marked with ear tags or laser stamps. The information is transmitted to the product traceability code of the processing plant, so every piece of pork you enjoy on the dining table can be traced from distribution to production to the origin.

This kind of peace of mind is not just a slogan, it is resounding.

A stunningly beautiful pig feast

I was fortunate enough to participate in the "European Pig and Poultry - Leaders in Quality Assurance and Food Safety" project sponsored by the European Union not long ago. Following Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Dali, EU pork arrived in Yangzhou, known as the "Capital of World Cuisine", on December 21st. The "Western Food Dongfeng Yi" European Pork Flavor Table Series also landed in Yangzhou.

More than 40 people, including representatives of the European pig and poultry project team, representatives of the Huaiyang Cuisine Chef Association in Yangzhou, as well as chefs and founders of Yangzhou catering industry, gathered together.

Food knows no borders, and the event is launched as a dialogue forum between Chinese and Western food cultures.

Mr. Su Liwen, representative of the European Pork and Poultry Project Team, said, "Yangzhou has been selected as the World Capital of Cuisine by UNESCO and holds a significant position in the Chinese catering industry. Therefore, we regard Yangzhou as an important stop in the European Pork Flavor Table Series event. We hope that through today's event, everyone can better understand the characteristics of European pork and try to apply it more to their daily cooking

At the forum, Master Tao Xiaodong, Deputy General Manager of Jiangsu Yangcheng Yiwei Catering Management Co., Ltd. and a famous Chinese chef, shared the cooking techniques and flavor details of traditional Huaiyang Cuisine in detail. Mr. Xu Ming, Executive Vice President of Huaiyang Cuisine Chefs Association of Yangzhou City, expressed his expectation for the future development of Huaiyang Cuisine.

And as a standard foodie, my skills and expectations are not as memorable as the deliciousness presented at this banquet!

Osmanthus honey scented honeycomb plum meat paired with roasted pepper and intoxicated abalone Made by marinating European pork and plum meat with blueberry sauce and grilling, the plum meat is sweet and sour, paired with fresh, sweet, and slightly spicy seafood, as well as sweet and sour osmanthus juice derived from traditional Yangzhou sweet and sour sauce.

The whole dish combines Huaiyang technique and Jiangnan flavor, and slightly adds Sichuan style hot pepper flavor. It has distinct layers, and the front and back middle note are blooming layer by layer, just like the landscape in Jiangnan.

There is one thing that must be mentioned! Baozi is a traditional delicacy in Yangzhou. The chef makes crab meat buns in a pan fried manner, paired with sour soup and fermented tofu, creating an unparalleled pair, Pan fried crab roe meat bun with sour soup and Wensi tofu .

Mixing European pork belly into minced meat and crab powder, resulting in tender meat and fresh crabs, is a sin for me.

Master Tao said, don't worry! It seems that this dish originated from the classic Huaiyang dishes of Wensi Tofu and Crab roe Soup Bun, but with slight improvements. Wensi Tofu is infused with a sour taste, while Crab roe Soup Bun is cooked in a pan fried manner. The pan fried crab roe meat bun has a crispy and fragrant outer skin, while the pork inside is fresh, juicy, and juicy. Paired with sour mouth Wensi tofu, it can relieve greasiness and moisten the mouth.

He said that the "silk" of Wensi Tofu is very rich, blending various fresh foods from Jiangnan, such as winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, ham, and green vegetables cooked together, and then mixed with orange acid. The pleasant sour taste in the fruity aroma has finally been deciphered!

On that day, the whole set of dishes arranged by Master Tao was based on Huaiyang Cuisine. Traditional classics and fashion innovation were integrated, and various cooking techniques, such as frying, frying, roasting, steaming, stewing, and multi-level complex flavors, such as sour, sweet, salty, hot, and fresh, demonstrated the multiple possibilities and plasticity of European pork.
Simple and rough meat eaters can also find beauty in this banquet.

Everyone has eaten abalone Braised pork belly? My mind is still filled with greed Honeycomb Plum Meat On the crispy entrance, the deliciousness of abalone hits! With Huaiyang Cuisine, drunken flavoring and refreshing fruit fragrance, it gives the pork plum meat a multi-level taste experience.

And Master Tao Xiaodong's kitchen exudes a taste of seafood and meat that hits the soul even more. That's Salt baked winter bamboo shoots, salted fish ribs! That's also something I can't put down.

In winter, the winter bamboo shoots in the south of the Yangtze River come on the market. The bamboo shoots are tender and fragrant. Every family in Yangzhou will make a dish of winter bamboo shoots, salted fish, Braised pork belly in brown sauce. The salt baked winter bamboo shoots, salted fish ribs, evolved from this dish. The European pork ribs, the fish belly of salted fish, and the winter bamboo shoots are treated together. When they are served, they are presented in the way of salt baking. Combined with Hakka wisdom, they are both warm and novel.

In short, familiar yet unfamiliar, familiar yet charming!

I think all beauty is like this, being carried away by this ever-changing world and constantly moving forward to find new existence.

The goddess asked

What kind of pork do you like to eat?

Familiarity is not true knowledge

——Hegel

Food Bless You！

Consultant of China International Food Expo

Producer of 'The Divine Table'