Gourmet Beijing Braised Pork Offal with Flatbread Recipe(Lu Zhuo Huo Shao 卤煮火烧)
In the bustling hutongs of Beijing, there is a delicious dish that has warmed the hearts of countless people - braised pork offal with bread (Lu Zhuo Huo Shao). Passed down from generation to generation, it perfectly combines the mellow flavor of carefully braised pork offal with the comfort brought by bread. Now, I am very excited to share this culinary history with you. Let's recreate the charm of old Beijing in our own kitchens!
Origin and History
As an authentic Beijing snack, Lu Zhuo Huo Shao is closely related to the food culture of old Beijing in terms of its origin and history. Lu Zhuo Huo Shao was originally a casual meal for the working people in Beijing. Due to its affordable price and unique taste, it is widely popular.
It is said that the origin of Lu Zhuo Huo Shao can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the pork market in Beijing was very prosperous, and pork was one of the main ingredients on the tables of ordinary people. In order to deal with the leftover pig offal (such as pig intestines, pig tripe, etc.), vendors cooked it together with tofu and Huo Shao (a small flatbread), added various seasonings, and formed the rudiment of Lu Zhuo Huo Shao.
Ingredients and Substitutes
To make this Lu Zhuo Huo Shao, you need to prepare the following materials:
Main ingredients
Pig heart: provides a unique taste and flavor for the dish.
Pig lung: enriches the variety of ingredients in the dish and adds a different texture.
Pig tripe: makes the taste of the dish more layered.
Cooked pig large intestine: gives a rich flavor characteristic.
Pork: increases meaty aroma and protein, enhancing the taste of the dish.
Tofu: provides a soft and tender texture and enriches the content of the dish.
Flour: It is the main raw material for making the Huoshao dough.
Accessories
Ginger: removes fishy smell and increases fragrance, adding ginger aroma.
Scallion white: brings scallion aroma and helps remove fishy smell and enhance flavor.
Coriander: adds a refreshing fragrance and plays a role in embellishment and decoration.
Garlic: increases garlic flavor and enriches the taste level.
Seasonings
Star anise: emits a unique aroma and enhances the overall flavor.
Cinnamon: gives a fragrant aroma and adds depth to the flavor.
Cardamom: releases a different fragrance and enriches the style of the dish.
Sichuan pepper: brings a numbing taste and highlights the flavor characteristic.
Cumin: contributes a unique pungent aroma and enriches the taste dimension.
Clove: has a unique fragrance and strengthens the flavor characteristic.
Bay leaves: bring a delicate fragrance and make the fragrance longer-lasting.
Cooking wine: removes fishy smell and greasiness and enhances the flavor of ingredients.
Vinegar: adds sourness and adjusts the taste of the dish.
Soy sauce: increases salty and fresh taste and has both coloring and flavoring functions.
Salt: controls the salty tone and highlights the original taste of ingredients.
Sugar: increases sweetness and balances the taste of the dish.
Yeast: used for making dough to make flatbread.
Warm water: assists yeast in playing a role and is used for making yeast juice.
Flour: the main raw material for making flatbread.
Water: meets the water demand for boiling and making dough in the cooking process.
Oil: used for frying tofu, flatbread and other ingredients to make the heating uniform and add aroma.
Substitutes
Star anise can be replaced by star anise powder. The fragrance concentration is different from that of whole star anise.
Cinnamon can be replaced by cinnamon powder. They belong to the Lauraceae family. The fragrance is similar and slightly sweeter.
Sichuan pepper can be replaced by rattan pepper. The numbing taste is fresh and has a fruity aroma. The numbing taste style is different.
Cooking wine can be replaced by white wine. The alcohol taste is slightly stronger. Adjust the dosage.
Vinegar can be replaced by lemon juice. The sourness is fresh. Adjust the dosage according to taste.
Yeast can be partially replaced by self-rising flour. The dough-making effect may be different.
Flour can be replaced by strong flour and other wheat flours. Adjust the amount of water used.
What are the characteristics
First, the combination of ingredients is exquisite. Pig heart, pig lung, pig tripe, pig large intestine and other offal are the main ingredients. Pig heart is firm and chewy. Pig lung is soft and tender like a sponge. Pig tripe is springy. Large intestine is fatty, glutinous and fragrant. The taste is rich and diverse. The Huo Shao is fried. The outer skin is crispy and the inside is soft. After absorbing the marinade, the taste is upgraded. The fried tofu is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It is integrated into it and complements all kinds of ingredients, enriching the overall taste level.
Second, the marinade has a mellow flavor. It is carefully brewed with multiple spices such as star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, and Sichuan pepper. Star anise adds sweetness and increases mellowness. Cinnamon is fragrant and warm. Cardamom is fresh and relieves greasiness. The numbing taste of Sichuan pepper is the finishing touch. All the flavors blend together and the aroma is tangy. After slow cooking for a long time, the umami of the ingredients seeps out and integrates into the marinade. The marinade then seeps into the ingredients, making them full of rich and mellow marinade fragrance. Every bite is a combination of freshness and fragrance with a long aftertaste.
Third, it is full of the atmosphere of the marketplace. As a classic snack in old Beijing, it is rooted in Hutong culture and is often seen in small street-side shops. The price is affordable and down-to-earth. Diners sit around and eat heartily amid the noise and bustle, feeling the strong flavor of life. It carries the simple food memories of the people in the capital and shows unique local customs.
How to choose the main ingredients well
For pig offal, choose pig heart that is light red or dark red, with even color, firm texture and elasticity, and can quickly rebound when pressed; choose pig lung that is pink or light red, with smooth surface and no black spots, elastic when pressed, and clean trachea without mucus; for pig tripe, choose milky white or light yellow, shiny and complete, with thick texture and firm when pinched; for pig large intestine, choose light yellow or white, shiny, with appropriate amount of fat, thick intestinal wall and elastic without hard lumps.
For flour, choose natural white or slightly yellow color. When grasped and released, it can spread out. It should be dry and without lumps. Give priority to choosing brands with good reputations. Due to the characteristics of wheat in northern production areas, the gluten of flour is often better.
For tofu, the surface should be flat without cracks, uniformly milky white or light yellow, bright in color, fine and soft in texture and elastic. It is best if there is no water flowing out when gently shaken. Choosing ingredients according to this standard can make Lu Zhuo Huo Shao more delicious and authentic.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·250g pig heart
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·250g pig lung
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·200g pig tripe
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·150g cooked pig large intestine
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·200g pork
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·1 piece tofu
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·250g flour
Accessories
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·10g ginger
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·10g scallion white
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·10g coriander
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·2 garlic cloves
Seasonings
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·3g star anise
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·2g cinnamon
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·2g cardamom
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·2g Sichuan pepper
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·2g cumin
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·1g clove
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·2g bay leaves
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·5g yeast
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·10ml cooking wine
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Pretreatment of ingredients:
Cut pig heart, pig lung, pig tripe, and pork into slices. Cut cooked pig large intestine into pieces.
Cut ginger into slices, scallion white into sections, coriander into sections, and mince garlic.
Cut tofu into triangles and place them aside for later use.
Step 2
Preparation of spices:
Put 3g star anise, 2g cinnamon, 2g cardamom, 2g Sichuan pepper, 2g cumin, 1g clove, and 2g bay leaves into a spice bag and tie the bag tightly.
Step 3
Making flatbread:
Dissolve 5g yeast in 30ml warm water to make yeast juice.
Pour it into a container with 250g flour.
While adding 120ml water, stir until a dough is formed.
Sprinkle 30g flour on the chopping board.
Place the dough and knead it into a long strip.
Then divide it into several portions.
Sprinkle 10g flour again and roll it into small flatbreads.
Step 4
Put the prepared cake into the pan.
Add 20 milliliters of oil to the pan.
Fry over medium heat until both sides are golden.
Take it out and cut it into triangles for standby.
Step 5
Blanching ingredients
Add 1200ml water to a pot and bring it to a boil.
First, put in pig heart slices. When they change color, take them out.
Then put in pork slices, pig tripe slices, and pig lung slices in sequence.
When they change color, take them out to remove blood and fishy smell.
Step 6
Handling tofu:
Heat 800ml oil. Put tofu in and fry until both sides are golden brown. Then take it out.
Step 7
Preparing Lu Zhuo:
Leave a little base oil in the pot. Turn on medium heat. Put in ginger slices and scallion sections and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add pork slices and stir-fry a few times.
Pour in 500ml water and put in the spice bag.
After bringing it to a boil over high heat, add pig tripe, pig lung, pig heart, 10ml cooking wine, 10ml vinegar, 50ml soy sauce, 5g salt, and 5g sugar in sequence.
Then put in cooked pig large intestine. Bring it to a boil over high heat and then turn to low heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes.
Step 8
Finishing by simmering: Put the fried tofu and flatbread into the pot. Simmer over low heat for five minutes.
Finally, add 5g salt and stir evenly. Sprinkle in coriander sections.
Step 9
The production of Lu Zhuo Huo Shao is completed.
More recipes worth trying
White Radish And Kelp Pork Ribs Soup Recipe
Tempting Roasted Chicken Hot Pot
Pairing suggestions
Pairing with staple food: In addition to the staple food attribute of fire-baked bread, corn steamed bread or rice is also good. The coarse grain fragrance of steamed bread complements the stewed food, and the rice grains are distinct. After absorbing the stewed food, it adds a taste of goodness, helping you eat with satisfaction and fullness
Garlic vinegar sauce: Mash the garlic into a paste, add an appropriate amount of aged vinegar, a little sesame oil and light soy sauce according to personal taste and mix well. Before eating stewed fire-baked bread, pour a spoonful of garlic and vinegar on it. The sourness of garlic and vinegar instantly activates the taste buds, dissolves the greasy feeling of the internal organs, and makes the stewed taste more distinct. The rich stewed aroma and meat aroma become more mellow under the sour and spicy stimulation, and every bite is refreshing and appetizing.
Chili oil: Make your own chili oil, pour hot oil on chili pieces, peppercorns, and sesame seeds to stimulate the spicy flavor. Add it to stewed food according to your preference to add a touch of hot and spicy to it, especially suitable for fatty parts such as pig large intestines. The spicy and fragrant interweave to warm the spleen and stomach, increase the heat of the taste, and eat it in autumn and winter to drive away the cold and relieve cravings.
Sugared garlic: Sugared garlic is sweet, sour, crispy and tender, and is a perfect match for stewed pork. Take a bite of stewed pork, then chew a piece of sugared garlic, the garlic aroma, sour and sweet collide on the tip of the tongue, cleverly buffering the heavy taste, refreshing taste throughout the whole process, balancing the salty and fragrant stewed taste, relieving greasiness and adding a different flavor.
Eating tips
Enjoy while hot: When stewed pork is hot, the ingredients are soft and rotten, the stew absorbs the juice, and the stew is fresh and rich. At this time, the taste is best. Once cooled, the stew will become hard, the stew will be greasy, and the flavor will be greatly reduced, so serve it on the table and taste it quickly.
Taste the original flavor first and then season it: First taste the original mellow flavor of stewed pork, taste the fusion of ingredients and stewed sauce, and then add seasonings one by one according to personal taste, accurately adjust the taste that suits your own preferences, and avoid excessive seasoning to cover up the original flavor.
FAQs:
For pig heart, first rinse the surface with running water. Cut it open and take out the blood clots. Soak it in salt water for 15 - 20 minutes to sterilize and remove blood. Then soak it in cooking wine for 5 - 10 minutes to remove fishy smell. Then rinse it.
For pig lung, put it on a faucet and fill it with water and squeeze out the water 3 - 4 times until the water is relatively clear. Add flour and knead for 3 - 5 minutes to absorb impurities. Then rinse it with clean water.
For pig tripe, turn it over and shake off the mucus. Sprinkle salt and knead inside and outside for 5 - 8 minutes. Apply white vinegar and let it stand for 10 - 15 minutes. Then scald it with boiling water until it changes color. Take it out and wash it.
For pig large intestine, turn it over and remove the dirt. Soak it in baking soda water for 10 - 15 minutes to help remove oil and odor and knead it. Rinse it with clean water and then soak it in white wine for 5 - 8 minutes. Blanch it in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes.
Cleaning tofu: Put it in clean water. Gently stir it or put it in a colander and rinse it under running water to remove bean dregs and impurities and prevent breakage.
For Huo Shao, look at the texture. When the surface is slightly transparent, it becomes significantly softer when clamped with chopsticks. When pressed, it can absorb the marinade and become heavier. This means it is full of marinated flavor and the cooking is up to standard. Otherwise, it will be hard.
It is easier to see with tofu. Small pores appear on the surface and the color is slightly darker. When gently clamped, it can maintain its shape and is soft and tender. When slightly forced, it can be broken. This indicates that the marinade has penetrated fully and the cooking is just right. If it is still firm and difficult to break, it needs to be cooked for a while longer.
But regarding safety, one must be cautious. When marinating, ingredients leave behind proteins, blood and other residues. If not stored properly, bacteria and molds are easy to grow. After each use, it is necessary to filter out the residues in time. After cooling, seal and refrigerate. In addition, repeated use will increase the content of nitrite. Excessive amount of this substance is harmful to health. Therefore, for safety reasons, it is recommended to re-prepare the marinade soup after using it 3 to 5 times. In this way, it can not only continue the unique flavor of the old marinade but also avoid potential health risks.
The characteristics of tofu itself also have an impact. When the pieces are large, the flavor penetration path is longer and it takes 15 - 20 minutes to be fully flavored. If the texture is compact, it is more difficult for the flavor to penetrate compared to a loose texture and it takes nearly 20 minutes.
The composition and concentration of the marinade soup are also crucial. More spices, sufficient salt and rich and mellow taste can speed up the flavor absorption. On the contrary, if the soup taste is weak, the tofu's flavor absorption process will be slow and it will take more time. In short, controlling the cooking time by considering various factors can make tofu fully absorb the flavor of the marinade soup and show its deliciousness in Lu Zhuo Huo Shao.
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