During the Song Dynasty, people often said, "Xiao Er, cut two catties of meat", which became a part of people's lives at that time.
However, people have always had doubts about what kind of animal meat the "two catties of meat" referred to in this sentence actually refers to.
There are three main possibilities for this meat: beef, lamb and pork.
1. Beef
We have the impression that beef and peanuts are the best choice for snacks, and the braised beef and beef in sauce sound mouthful.
But in the Song Dynasty, it is not very likely that "two catties of meat" was beef.
Because during the Song Dynasty, beef was not a casual and edible ingredient, but was strictly restricted and protected as a cultivated labor.
Because the Great Song Dynasty attached great importance to farming, the ploughing cattle needed for farming became an indispensable production tool.
Because of the self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy at that time, the importance of cattle in agricultural production was self-evident, so the Song Dynasty stipulated that cattle slaughtered without permission could be imprisoned for one year before they could be released, so as to warn farmers not to slaughter cattle without permission.
The productivity of a cow is much greater than that of a farmer, and it plays a very important role in agricultural production.
It was with the advent of oxen ploughing and tool ploughing that productivity changed dramatically.
But if you really want to eat beef, there is a way, you can ask the official for approval and "license".
But the process has to divide a lot of beef.
Therefore, beef is really a luxury for ordinary people, and even if they are lucky enough to get a few pieces sometimes, it is often inferior residual meat.
Therefore, it is not very likely that "two catties of meat" is beef.
2. Mutton
There are also many people who believe that it is mutton.
But in fact, mutton is not very likely, because the ** of mutton is extremely expensive, and if the store does not have a good cook, then it is really difficult to make mutton without fishy smell.
The high price of mutton ** can be seen in the poet's verses.
Su Shi once wrote in "Wen Zi You Thin" that "ten years of Beijing is tired of fat".
Its approximate meaning is: I, Su Dongpo, often eat good mutton, and I have long been tired of eating it!
But in fact, Su Shi likes to eat mutton very much, but because he was degraded, his income was not enough for him to eat mutton often.
The officials can't afford to eat it, so it can be seen that mutton is really expensive.
The high cost of mutton is mainly due to the fact that during the Song Dynasty, due to the war, the area of the grassland in the Song Dynasty gradually shrank, and many herders were displaced and had no place to raise sheep.
As a result, the number of sheep has decreased.
In addition, the ruling class needs sheep to sacrifice, so it deliberately raises the ** of mutton, and finally mutton becomes sky-high meat.
And compared to beef, mutton has a unique mutton flavor.
This smell is a special taste of mutton itself, and if it is not handled properly, it can easily affect the overall taste of mutton.
So in the Song Dynasty, very few ordinary restaurants would serve mutton.
3. Pork
Due to the lack of contemporary seasonings, the fishy smell of pork is also difficult to deal with, but fortunately, pork is cheap! Therefore, although pork is not favored by the **, it is very popular among the common people.
And as time went on, some chefs and people began to study ways to remove the fish, and finally found that adding wine and roasting it can make the pork taste more delicious.
After discovering the way to remove the smell, pork gradually became popular.
People began to explore various cooking methods, pairing pork with other ingredients to create many delicious dishes.
According to Su Shi's pork processing method, the "Dongpo meat" is a famous delicacy in ancient and modern times.
In fact, there are traces to follow before Su Dongpo, and pork knuckle dishes have been popular, but because the restrictions are not widespread.
Moreover, the production of liquor in the early Song Dynasty was very limited, and it was not until the middle of the Song Dynasty that the winemaking technology made great progress, and the quantity and quality of liquor were greatly improved.
Therefore, after the Dongpo meat method came out at that time, it could quickly become popular.
It is recorded in the "Tokyo Menghualu" that the number of pigs entering Bianliang from Nanxunmen every night is as high as tens of thousands.
This huge number is indicative of the boom in the pork market in the middle of the Song Dynasty.
The ** and taste of pork make those heroes affordable, tasteful and face-saving.
Therefore, it is generally believed that "two catties of meat" is pork.
Conclusion:
According to the production situation of the Song Dynasty, the possibility of pork is extremely high.
Some ancients because of their status and family property, so the meat they ordered was probably mutton or beef.