Su Dongpo And Dongpo Meat

Dongpo meat is a famous dish south of Changjiang. From the name, it becomes clear that it has something to do with Su Dongpo, a well-known literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty not only proficient in essays, poetry and calligraphy, but also a food expert who loved cooking. There are many cuisine experts in the world – and even more master chefs – but there are very few who excel in both, especially those who are knowledgeable about food, able to cook, and are innovative. During his lifetime, Su dongpo created a large number of popular gourmet dishes, many of which that are named after him – such as Dongpo Soup, Dongpo Tofu, Dongpo Celery with Minced Meat, Dongpo Pork Shoulder, Dongpo Cake, Dongpo Flaky Cake, etc. These dishes and cakes are found on Huaiyang, old Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Fujian, Hunan and Hubei menus. Nobody throughout history could match the popularity and timelessness of his dishes.

Su Dongpo loved pork, and was at odds with the reformists led by Wang Anshi. Because he ridiculed the government in his poems and essays, the new party could not tolerate him, and he was found guilty of slander and almost lost his life. Later, he was demoted to local, casual positions awaiting judgment. He was successively given casual jobs in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Huzhou and Huangzhou. During this time, he toured the mountains and rivers and indulged in eating, drinking and entertaining in order to get his mind off the frustrations. He teased himself in one of his poems: “Good bamboo emits fragrance / In its shoots in the mountains / That even meditating monks cannot forget. / As for me, I love Dongpo meat, / And prefer to lean against the wine barrel / Slightly drunk and wearing a long hat.”

When he was working in Huangzhou, Su Dongpo planted bamboo around his residence. His friend asked him why. He laughed and said: “Without bamboo, one becomes vulgar. Without meat, one becomes skinny,” His friend responded laughingly, “If you don’t want to be vulgar and skinny, stir fry meat with bamboo shoot.”

Huangzhou’s pork was tender and delicious, but was not valued by the locals. The affluent families and rich merchants only wanted beef and lamb, despising pork due to its low price and lack of status. The ordinary people also ignored pork because they didn’t know how to cook it. So, in order to raise the status of pork in Huangzhou, Su Dongpo incorporated his pork cooking method into his “Pork Cooking Song.” The lyric says: “Huangzhou has good pork and the price is dirt cheap. The rich refuses to eat it and the poor doesn’t know how to cook it. Simmer it with little water and it becomes delicious when it is well done.” The lyric was funny, vivid, practical and easy to understand and memorize. It was an excellent song for making braised pork.

Friends could not tear themselves away when Su Dongpo eventually left Huangzhou. He bought a few pigs on his own, cooked Dongpo meat to treat Huangzhou’s locals and taught them how to cook it. After Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing and Xuzhou, Su Dongpo finally arrived in Huizhou and Hainan, teaching the locals how to cook Dongpo meat wherever he went. As a result, Dongpo meat has become popular all over the country.

The secret of making Dongpo meat is to “simmer it with little water and it becomes delicious when it is well done.” These words truly describe the way to cook pork so that it becomes tender, juicy, delicious – just right. Even today, Su Dongpo’s cooking experience is still the guide for cooking Dongpo meat.

Today, there are many different ways to cook Dongpo meat. In the original Shanghai version of braised pork, some sugar is added to enhance the flavor. In addition, the dried bean curd is put at the bottom to absorb the oil from the pork. When making Dongpo meat, cooks in Guangzhou and Hong Kong deep fry the pork to get rid of some fat and make the pork skin crispy. People in Beijing surround the Dongpo meat with fresh tangerine to neutralize the salty taste with some sour flavor and make the dish healthier.

It is not surprising that Dongpo meat has been popular for a thousand years. (Reprinted from China Eastern Airlines Magazine)