Wind-Cured Pork (Yin Wenduan Household Style)

Ingredients

• 1 whole pig pork
• 4 qian (錢, ~1.3 grams each piece) salt
• as needed sesame oil (香油)

Instructions

1. Slaughter one pig and cut it into eight pieces. For each piece, rub four qian of salt thoroughly and evenly into the meat with fine, meticulous motion, ensuring no part is left untouched. Hang the pieces in a place with wind but no direct sunlight for an extended period. If insects damage the meat during hanging, coat the affected area with sesame oil.
2. When ready to cook in summer, first soak the meat in water overnight. When boiling, add water in measure—enough to just cover the surface of the meat, neither too much nor too little. When slicing, use a sharp knife to cut across the grain horizontally; do not slice along the direction of the meat fibers. This preparation was perfected by the Yin household and was regularly presented as tribute. The wind-cured pork made in Xuzhou today does not compare, though the reason is unclear.