First of all, Xuanwei ham is not cured meat, but fermented meat, and does not contain harmful ingredients such as nitrates. The green mold on the ham is Penicillium, not Aspergillus aflatoxin. Penicillium is a naturally occurring strain in Xuanwei's unique environment. It has been considered harmful for many years, but it is actually a beneficial strain.
Hams that are about two years old are bright red when cut and fragrant. They can be eaten raw and have an excellent flavor.
Traditional Xuanwei ham has four elements:
First, pig breed;
Second, salt;
Third, production Method;
The fourth is the region.
The pig breed must be a black soil pig, which grows up eating grain (cooked food), and the general growth cycle is about one and a half years;
Salt should be used in a tube of about 15 kilograms. Salt, not the bagged salt on the market; the salt can be reused in the coming year.
To make the ham, add salt immediately after killing the pig and when it is still hot, squeeze out all the remaining blood, then put it in a large pot and press it with stones. Turn every day and add salt. If you do this every day, it will take two weeks to take it out of the pot, and then hang it in a cool, ventilated place. It can only be eaten after half a year.
In the production area, Xuanwei has 28 towns. Traditionally, Xuanwei ham can only be called Xuanwei ham if it is produced around Xuanwei City, such as Rongcheng, Wanshui, Hongqiao, and Banqiao areas. . Others are close to Weining, Guizhou, and the direction of Shuicheng has never been considered traditional Xuanwei ham. In fact, Weining ham and Shuicheng ham have been pretending to be Xuanwei ham for a long time.
However, due to the replacement of pig breeds (native pigs are replaced by York pigs and hybrid pigs), changes in feeding methods (raw feed), shortened growth cycles, and changes in industrial production methods (rough direct use of salt Soaking), the traditional Xuanwei ham can be said to no longer exist. Local pig farmers generally feed the grain for themselves and sell the feed for the pigs. But even so, Xuanwei ham is still much more fragrant than other types of ham.
As long as it comes from rural areas of Xuanwei, it is the most authentic. The ones sold in the market are not the most authentic, and the taste is different. The most authentic ones are those fed with cooked food, but there are relatively few of them. Now most of them are fed raw food with feed. Therefore, I feel that the most authentic ham should be cooked and fed in some rural areas. It is better because the cooked ham generally does not add feed, but only adds some flour, such as cornmeal. The pork fed in this way has a very good meat texture, and the oil is very fragrant. This kind of ham can be said to be very authentic.
The most authentic of Tianba Siliangshan, native pigs are fed with cooked food on Liangshan and have a full growth cycle. Then in the twelfth lunar month of winter, ask the immortals to watch the day and kill them (you have to burn money paper when killing), scald the hair with boiling water, quickly remove the internal organs and dismember them, and then spread the hind legs flat to dissipate the heat. For lunch, eat pork liver, blood spicy seeds, stir-fried pork, tofu, potato skins, boiled taro, and red bean sour soup. In the afternoon, wash the pig's large intestine, remove the vermicelli, and cook the dumpling meat together with the pork ribs and angled meat. Put the pig blood, tofu and intestines, sear the pig brain, remove the hair and bones, and boil in water until it is cooked. Immediately remove from the pot, cut into thin slices, and rinse in cold water to make the meat. After dinner, the guests dispersed, leaving the more capable relatives and friends to help marinate the ham and main dishes. Pull back to break the blood vessels, and rub repeatedly from the pig's trotters to the spine until all the blood is wiped out. Then weigh the salt according to the proportion (generally about 3 yuan per pound, which varies slightly depending on the climate at the time of slaughter); put the meat on the butcher's bed and spread it evenly, then sprinkle a layer of salt evenly and let it sit for about 15 minutes until the meat is cooked. After absorbing the salt, sprinkle some salt and rub it repeatedly for 15 minutes; then let it sit for another 20 minutes to allow the pork legs to absorb as much salt as possible. Finally, sprinkle all the remaining salt and rub it repeatedly for 15 minutes. During the rubbing process, gently massage the legs. Then wash and set up the big pot for scalding the pig, put a layer of straw on the bottom of the pot, and put in the hind legs, front legs, and main dishes in order. Finally, cover it with a layer of straw curtain. In this process, the lard is also refined, and the appropriate amount of soybeans are added and stir-fried until they become crispy beans. Everyone sits around the pot and has a glass of rice wine, which is very comfortable.
It's already early morning! After marinating for four or five days, the meat will seep out a large amount of salt water. At this time, turn the meat and adjust its position to allow the meat to be fully marinated. In about 15 days, prepare straw ropes and use pig trotter buckles to hang the legs in a cool and ventilated place on the second floor of the wooden frame house! Waiting for time to ferment, when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming, under the ravage of salt and spring breeze, the pig legs gradually lose moisture and gradually appear like gold ingots! At this time, you need to constantly change positions so that each leg has a wonderful encounter with Miss Chun! After the baptism of spring, the pig leg has entered the hot summer. The hot summer is a good day for it to start fermenting. At this time, it needs your meticulous care most to prevent it from being burned by the high temperature. You must give it time to escape the heat; survive the scorching sun. The days of autumn have ushered in the crisp and sunny days of autumn. At this time, the frost and dew quietly put a layer of green clothes on the pig legs (dew mold smoke), and then it can be called ham! Of course, the one that has been baptized for three years in spring, summer, autumn and winter is everyone’s favorite!
In my opinion, only local pigs raised by local farmers and ham cured with local methods in rural mud houses with pure taste can be considered authentic.
I have been fortunate enough to get to know several small cured ham bosses and have seen their curing ham process. It should be said that they are very dedicated to starting a business, but I personally don’t dare to say that their ham is authentic. Agree.
One: Their fresh ham comes from pigs in large, medium and small farms, and the raw materials are not good. In particular, some small farms have poor feed and excessive amounts of pig medicine. It’s hard to say what kind of pork they get.
Second: Most of them use cold storage for year-round pickling, which is an unconventional method. It is far different from the "smoky and fire-burning" method in rural areas that uses natural conditions to pickle and ferment.
Third: The process of batch pickling is standardized and unified, but the mentality of pursuing profits and fearing losses has forced some bosses to take measures to prevent insects and odors with drugs. It is rumored that some people have used dichlorvos to prevent insects and even returned meat to meat. When coloring is injected, it is difficult to ensure the safety of the meat.
A few years ago, I bought a ham. After cutting a piece and cooking it, the meat turned out to be waxy. It was impossible to pull out the shredded meat like old ham, and the soup was blood red. I poured it out on the spot, which was heartbreaking. all night long.
I believe that all those who can see this are friends who like ham, what do you think?
As long as it belongs to the Xuanwei area, it is authentic. Many people don’t sell it outside and keep it for their own consumption
The most authentic one is processed by oneself! However, the temperature has increased in recent years, and the house has become a watering room, so it is difficult to store the ham! An old house with a civil structure that is breathable and cool is the most suitable place for hanging ham! Springtails have also been a pest that has plagued hams in recent years, and there are no experts to study this matter. Improve the quality of Xuanwei ham!
As soon as the winter solstice arrives every year, almost every household in the Xuanwei area begins preparing to slaughter the New Year pig and make the slaughtered pork into delicious ham and bacon. These pigs are native pigs that the villagers have carefully raised for nearly a year, ranging from one or two to six or seven. On weekdays, they are fed pig grass cut from the mountains and carrots, radishes, and cornmeal grown in their own fields, so the quality of the pork is excellent.
This is the busiest time of the year for the butcher. Perhaps because of the custom passed down from our ancestors, the date of killing the pig must be based on the almanac first, and it is not just a day that you want. On the day of killing a pig, in addition to the butcher, several well-connected villagers are also invited to help. Before the killing, a stick of incense is burned. I still don’t understand why. At this time, I often silently chant in my heart with hypocrisy: Pig! Let our bellies be your coffin.
After the slaughter, the butcher will skillfully start the next step of the work; finely divide the meat into different parts and apply a large amount of salt on the surface of the pork. Then tie it with a rope and hang it in a light-proof and ventilated attic. At this point, the first step of making ham is completed, and the next step is the famous Xuanwei Killed Pig Rice.
In three years, it will transform into a delicious and tempting Xuanwei old ham wearing a green robe.
There is no such thing as authentic or not, whatever is suitable for you is the most authentic.
There is no such thing as the most authentic.