Barbecue season is an old brand facing water in the north of YinDing Qiao. Together with the barbecue bay in Xuannei Street in the south of Beijing, it enjoys the reputation of "Northern Anhui Season in the South".
The barbecue season first started from a stall in Shichahai Lotus Market.
At that time, the lotus market was very lively every year from the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to the fifteenth day of July. At this time, the lotus flowers in Shichahai are in full bloom and the willows are in line. People come for leisure and entertainment, and vendors naturally follow the wind and show their magical powers in Shichahai.
In the 28th year of Qing Daoguang (1849), Ji Decai, the founder of the barbecue season and a native of Niu Bao Tun, Tongzhou, set up a stall to sell roast mutton, vermicelli, bean jelly, noodles and other snacks in the Lotus Market north of YinDing Qiao. Jidecai's barbecue has a unique flavor, attracting many repeat customers, and the reputation of Jijia's barbecue stall has gradually grown in the lotus market.
After Ji Decai died, his son took over the business. At this time, the barbecue season began to provide door-to-door service to large families. Some big houses need barbecue, so Ji Decai's son took mutton slices, spices, firewood and barbecue, and took one or two guys to barbecue himself.
The mutton chosen for barbecue in the barbecue season is Xikou sheep with black head and tail, weighing about 20 kg. Then Xikou goat or Beikou Jehol long-tailed sheep, only the hind legs and upper brain parts of these two sheep are selected.
Every morning in the barbecue season, we go to major mutton butchers in Beijing to carefully select mutton, carefully process it, remove ribs and tendons, wrap the fresh mutton in cloth, and ice it, and then cut it into translucent slices two or three inches long and one inch wide with a special meat cleaver, so as to separate fat from thin and meet the taste needs of different diners.
Those who like to eat lean meat like to eat red "cucumber strips", those who like to eat fat meat like to eat "big three forks" with red and white ends, and "small three forks" with five flowers and three layers of fat, while the meat slices of sheep tendon should be cut thicker.
Later, roast beef was added in the barbecue season. In order to ensure fresh and tender meat, they only choose bad cattle, not farm cattle, and only use cow brains, tenderloin and ribs.