Cangjie made words, fish and sheep are fresh.
Speaking of lamb fresh, southerners will definitely doubt my pronunciation, is it fresh (xian)? Or shan? In the south, because of the relationship between water, soil and grass, the mutton is full of flavor, and it is said that because of the overflow of gas when cooking, passers-by cover their noses and walk quickly, and eaters are more respectful and far away.
This may correspond to the sentence in "Yanzi Spring and Autumn": "Oranges born in Huainan are oranges, born in Huaibei are oranges, and the leaves are similar, but in fact, the taste is different", why? "Water and soil are different".
Southern sheep, northern sheep firewood, the best among sheep, and the northwest sheep. The great northwest is dry and rainy, the grass is scarce, the sheep who are fortunate to live in the northwest are hungry to eat the fur, thirsty to drink alkaline water, the unique geographical environment has created the unique delicious genes of the northwest lamb, and the wise Ningxia people have played the lamb eating method to the extreme - hand-grabbed lamb, stewed lamb, steamed lamb, red braised lamb, haggis... A sheep from head to toe, from the inside to the outside, steaming, boiling, stewing, roasting, sauce, braised, shabu, stir-fry, the collision of pot and spoon, the tip of the tongue gave an evaluation - Huangqu Bridge stir-fried lamb with red color, soft and tender meat, mellow and unique taste. In 2007, the huangquqiao stir-fried lamb making technique was rated as the intangible cultural heritage of Ningxia and became the only food making process in the list of traditional handicrafts.
Huangqu Bridge, a cultural town with a history of more than 200 years, is located 15 kilometers north of Pingluo County, Shizuishan City, Ningxia, and the 109 National Highway passes through the street, "pimpy street, dustpan city" is the true portrayal of this town. On this dustpany street, there are more than twenty restaurants of all sizes, and the names of the restaurants are very simple, just called Ding Datou, Ma Ji, Huifang, Zhou Da... The girl next door was gracious. The storefronts are large and small, atmospheric or elegant, but all have a striking sign called Halal. "Halal", the original Arabic meaning "legal". Legal here refers to compliance with the Islamic Shariah, strict compliance with the relevant provisions of the Quran; the boss, young or old, speaks an authentic Huangqu Bridge dialect, guards an authentic Huangqu Bridge stir-fried lamb technique, spring, summer, autumn and winter, ushered in, for this century-old town to make a beautiful business card, called Huangqu Bridge fried lamb.
The method of making fried lamb is more accurate than a method, but with "skill". Lambs weighing between 7.5 kg and 10 kg and under the age of 2-3 months are the chef's favorite. The lamb is too small, the meat is tender and tasteless; the lamb is too big, and the meat is old and not tender.
A large cauldron with about three centimeters of meat in it, which is a process that must be carried out before the lamb meat is put into the pot, in order to remove the blood and water remaining in the meat. Huangqu Bridge is an alkaline soil, and the soil and groundwater are alkaline. Scientific research has found that the alkaline substances in the water can neutralize the volatile fatty acids that emit a smell in the lamb, which first ensures that the lamb meat will not emit the smell of "making passers-by cover their noses and walk quickly", coupled with the special Chinese herbs added during the stir-frying process, and the nutrients in the lamb are all precipitated to the surface through herbs, so the lamb meat is so delicious.
The stir-fry spoon is placed on the fire, the sesame oil emits a fragrance, the shallots, minced garlic, ginger slices preemptively appear, this is called the frying oil pot, the hot oil will be onion, ginger and garlic contained in the body of the fragrance released out, both fragrant sense of smell, but also further remove the smell of lamb.
After two hours of soaking, the lamb pieces are slightly white, and the "Zi La" sound enters the pot, and the water and oil meet each other, which is a fierce fight. Chefs are commonplace, tepid, spatulas flying, stir-frying, occasionally adding special Chinese herbal packets, and eight minutes later, the lamb is brownish red and poses a longing posture. It's waiting, waiting for its perfect match— dried pepper minced peppers. Speaking of dried chili peppers, its relationship with lamb is like coffee and companionship, as long as they meet, they can collide with delicious sparks. The minced peppers and the mutton oil oozing from the lamb quickly merged, the spicy taste locked in the umami taste of the lamb, and the seductive red color covered the fried lamb in a gorgeous coat, teasing the eyes and taste of diners.
The fire was strong enough, the lid of the pot at the top "suddenly" sounded, broth, refined salt, pepper water, soy sauce... All kinds of condiments are full of affection, and the aroma of lamb is eager to go out of the window and show off on the street.
A delicacy, the raw material is its bones and bones, the taste is its flesh and blood, the sale is its texture, only the bones and bones are authentic, the flesh and blood are rich, the texture is soft, and the square is the best product. If the blood is light and the flesh withers, it hurts the bones, and in the people there is no face, and in the food, there is nothing to sell; if the muscles and bones are not standing, the flesh and blood are not attached, the texture does not exist, the people are withered, and the food is tasteless; similarly, if the texture is rough, then the plump flesh and blood, the strongest bones and bones will be submerged under the appearance of not being able to look at it directly. Therefore, the delicious cuisine must first satisfy the vision, in order to awaken the sense of taste - soaked potato noodles soft and tendonous, in the sauce red lamb, add this white special object, see it in the mutton soup with ease, can't help but use chopsticks to pick up one into the mouth, soft and smooth, long aftertaste; green pepper, in the stir-fried lamb, belongs to the existence of "a little green in the red bush", spicy and sweet green pepper after experiencing the baptism of hot oil, perfectly stimulated the umami taste of the lamb, is embellishment, is more delicious.
At this time, everything was quiet, the chef set the table plate, from time to time, stir-fry the lamb in the pot, this is the last process, stir-fry and stew, is the Huangqu Bridge stir-fried lamb housekeeping tips.
Twenty minutes of stir-frying and stewing finally arrived at the moment of coming out of the pan. The red lamb, green peppers, and white vermicelli are wrapped in a thick soup, placed in a snow-white porcelain plate, and before it is imported, it has entered the heart, and the local nostalgia is coming to the face, if it is the first return of the wanderer, the eyes at this time will be full of tears.
This is a delicacy that suffers from severe "water and soil incompatibility", like my ancestors who have faced the loess soil with their backs to the sky for generations, once they leave their homeland, they will not think about tea and food, and their souls will not keep their homes. The 109 National Highway is like a red line in the hands of the matchmaker, tying Beijing and Lhasa together, strung together mountains and rivers along the way, strung up towns, strung up scenery, and also strung up food. Along the 109 National Highway north and south, the Huangqu Bridge Lamb Sign can be seen everywhere. Most of this is the Huangquqiao people who are not willing to stick to the town with the dream of making a fortune, taking the skills and ingredients of fried lamb away from their homeland, hoping to seek greater development in other places. Unfortunately, the same operation process, the same ingredient recipe, left the fried lamb meat of huangqu bridge, like an old man with amnesia, who can't remember his original taste anyway. This is not due to feelings and local atmosphere, and it is not a family word. This is the conclusion reached by people who have eaten authentic Huangqu Bridge lamb after countless comparisons. Some people say that this is a dining culture created by regional characteristics and customs. I think this should be the Creator's gift to this land, giving them lambs, giving them water quality, and giving them craftsmanship, so that the people who live in this land will not suffer from the pain of displacement, and they can live freely just by guarding their homes.
The taste buds are loyal to the locals. In front of this delicious taste of color, fragrance, taste, shape, fat but not greasy, brownish red color, tender meat and fragrant taste, there are always people unconsciously smashing their mouths and swallowing spit, and every time I meet it, I will lose my manners.
I'm probably not a meat lover, but stir-fried lamb is something you have to eat every three to five minutes. This dish evokes not only appetite, but also affection.
When I was a child, my family was not very wealthy. Eating one meal of meat will make the whole family happy for several days. In the days of poverty, it is not easy to make a dish with good color and flavor, which is the so-called "smart woman is difficult to cook without rice". There were no fresh seasonal vegetables, both to relieve the hunger and to eat, so the mother sautéed the meat, vermicelli and cabbage peppers grown in her own field, added some water, and simmered for half an hour until the aroma filled the whole house. My mother did this only because this practice of saying that soup is not soup and that vegetables are not dishes is easier to cook and better to distribute. Six or seven children, such a dish, one spoonful per person, affordable and unsatisfied.
After many years, every time I ate The Lamb of Huangqu Bridge, when I was a child, under the lights, the scene of the family's lively and lively eating was always churned out and became a beam of light for missing my parents.
Mr. Liang Shiqiu said in "Yashe Talks About Eating", "When people are hungry, they are really full and warm, and when they see, recall or talk about a certain delicacy, their throats are like a hungry insect scratching and scratching, and they have to dry their throat and spit", but unfortunately they failed to "get what they want, enjoy it freely, and be full of Thainess". Such words are really written in my heart. My sensitive and fragile taste nerve is always crushed by the fried lamb meat of the Huangqu Bridge at any time and on any occasion, you see, but after writing these few words, I can't help but smash my mouth, swallow spit, and lose my manners.
Nowadays, few people ask me, what is good for Pingluo? However, people often ask, who is the most authentic lamb in Huangqu Bridge? As long as it is in the Huangqu Bridge, every family is authentic.
About the Author: Shuping Wang
About the author: Wang Shuping Hui. A native of Pingluo County, Shizuishan City, Ningxia. He is a member of the Shizuishan Writers Association. Likes to cook life with words. He is the author of a collection of essays, "Meet Yourself" and "The Afterglow of the Flowing Years", and his works have been scattered in various newspapers and magazines in the region and abroad