§ 76. Cured Ham
An excellent cured ham is produced in Yunnan Province. This is due to the fact that the hogs in that region are largely of the bacon type, and the climate is very favorable for curing meat, being dry and fairly cool during the meat curing season.
In curing ham, the Chinese use much the same method as is used in western countries in making dry cured ham, except that sugar is not used in the pickle. The pickle is made up as follows: Salt (shuk im 熟鹽) 20 catties (kan 卄斤), Saltpeter (siu 硝) .05 tael (半錢), mixture of spices (ng heung fan 五香粉) 2 taels (leung 二両).
Rub each piece of meat for one-half hour. Puncture the meat with needles so the pickle will work in well. Rub again in two days. For the two days after the first rubbing with the pickle, keep under pressure to squeeze out the water. After the second two days, rub again with the pickle. Rub again after two more days. Then the meat is packed in salt for fifteen days, when it is taken out and the salt wiped off and the meat is allowed to dry and harden. Curing should require forty days. The flavor improves with age.
§ 77. Sun Dried Pork (Shau Laap Yuk 瘦𦡳肉)
Sun drying is a common method of curing pork in the Canton region. For this purpose, head, side, ham, and shoulder meat is used. The meat is cut in strips, about eight to ten inches long, and about one inch thick. It is immersed over night in a pickle which is the same as the one used in making sausage, and the next day rubbed with a mixture of honey and water (mat t’ong shui 蜜糖水), made up of one part honey and one part water, and hung up to dry in the sun for two days. Again it is soaked in the pickle for a short time, and dried in the sun for two days. This is done a third time. Then it is put in a stone jar in a cool, dry place for two days, and again hung up to dry for one week, when it is cured. When cured, the fat meat is rather firm.
Pork can be sun dried in the Canton region between the first of November and the middle of January. Dry, north wind is best for curing. If cured later than January, it must be consumed immediately as it will not keep long.
§ 78. Pickled Pig Feet (Ch’aat T’ai 札蹄)
In making pickled pig feet, the bone is first removed from the leg, leaving only the meat, skin and toes. Boil, and stuff with roast fat and lean meat to take the place of the bone. Tie up with rice straw, and immerse in the sausage spice for several hours.