Pork belly to remember: the secret to cooking delicious**!
Pork belly, a delicious and nutritious ingredient, is loved for its unique taste and rich nutritional value. But before cooking, how to cut the pork belly properly to ensure that it tastes and looks the best can be a big problem. So, how do you cut pork belly correctly? Next, let's uncover the mystery of pork belly cutting together!
1. Material selection: selection of fresh pork belly
First of all, choose fresh pork belly. Fresh pork belly is milky white or pale yellow in color, tough and elastic in texture, and has no peculiar smell. When picking, you can observe whether the surface of the pork belly is smooth and shiny, and whether there are obvious breakages or lesions. If the pork belly is not fresh enough, its taste and nutritional value will be greatly reduced.
2. Cleaning: the treatment of pork belly
Before cutting the pork belly, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Put the pork belly in warm water, add an appropriate amount of salt and white vinegar, soak for about 10 minutes, and then gently rub it with both hands to remove the mucus and impurities on the surface. Finally, rinse with clean water and drain for later use.
3. Cutting: The cutting method of pork belly
Cut transversely: Place the cleaned pork belly flat and cut it into even strips along the transverse direction with a sharp knife. Note that when cutting, keep the knife at an angle to the surface of the pork belly to avoid sticking. Horizontal cutting is suitable for stews or roasts and is able to better maintain the integrity of the pork belly.
Cut lengthwise: Place the pork belly lengthwise and cut it into thin strips along the lengthwise direction. This cutting method is suitable for stir-fried or cold dishes, which can give the pork belly a better flavor. When cutting, keep the knife sharp and try to smooth the cut to enhance the texture of the dish.
Flower knife cutting: Place the pork belly flat on the board and cross-cut it at an angle with a knife to form a pattern. Flower knife cutting can increase the cooking area of pork belly, making it more flavorful. This cutting method is suitable for making pork belly dishes that need to be marinated or fried.
4. Cooking: The secret of the deliciousness of pork belly
Cook slowly: To make pork belly soft and delicious, it can be cooked slowly. Put the sliced pork belly into a casserole or pressure cooker, add an appropriate amount of water, ginger slices, green onions and seasonings, and simmer over low heat for about 1-2 hours until the pork belly becomes soft and glutinous.
Marinate to taste: Before cooking, you can put the sliced pork belly into a bowl and add an appropriate amount of salt, cooking wine, light soy sauce, shredded ginger, green onion and other seasonings to marinate for a period of time to make it fully flavorful. The marinating time varies depending on personal taste, generally from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Stir-fry and stir-fry: To maintain the crisp texture of pork belly, it can be cooked stir-fried or stir-fried. Put the sliced pork belly into the hot oil and stir-fry quickly, add the appropriate amount of seasonings and vegetables, and stir-fry until it is broken. The stir-fry time should not be too long, so as not to affect the taste.
5. Tips
Choose fresh pork belly: Fresh pork belly tastes more delicious and has higher nutritional value. When purchasing, pay attention to choosing pork belly with milky white color, tough texture, and no peculiar smell.
Knives should be sharp: The knife used when cutting pork belly should be extremely sharp to avoid an uneven incision. If the knife is not sharp enough, you can sharpen it by applying some salt or whetstone to the edge.
Cook at a moderate temperature and time: When cooking pork belly, pay attention to the heat and time. Too much heat or too long will cause the pork belly to become soft and tasteless; If the heat is too small or the time is too short, the pork belly will not taste glutinous and refreshing.