Making bacon and sausages for the New Year is a habit in S Province. Regardless of whether you have money or not, you have to hang a few crispy yellow bacon and put a few knots of red sausages in your home before the year before it is considered a New Year's flavor.
Especially in the countryside, as long as the conditions are decent, people will kill pigs for the New Year, and make a room full of bacon sausages. If they are well preserved, they can be stored in June and July of the next year. The taste is simply indescribable.
Almost every household is making bacon. It seems simple, but in fact it has a lot to pay attention to.
The first is the selection of materials. The best bacon requires fat but not greasy, salty, fragrant and refreshing. Pigs fed with pure grain and weeds in the countryside have excellent meat quality, and they are not "water-filled pork" uniformly produced by slaughterhouses. The selection of materials is impeccable. Lin Mo was worried about buying bad "water-filled pork" in the market, so he made great efforts to buy fat pigs from the countryside and "supervised and chopped" them himself.
Secondly, the taste of bacon is better, and the process of marinating is extremely critical. There are extremely strict regulations on how much salt, refined nitrate, pepper, cinnamon, star anise and other ingredients are used for each catty of meat. The time of marinating, 'turning the meat' during the marinating period, washing and drying after the marinating period, each step will affect the final taste.
Finally, there is baking. People in L county mostly use charcoal to bake bacon, so that the "baked" meat has a golden-red color and is easy to store. On the basis of charcoal baking, Lin Mo added a lot of cypress branches. Under high temperature baking, the cypress branches will form smoke, and "baking" will become "smoked roasting". The bacon produced in this way is not only beautiful in color , the meat itself also has the unique fragrance of cypress, which makes the taste more delicious.
The selection of bacon is very picky, which left Lin Mo with more than 200 catties of leftovers. There are both fat and thin in the leftovers, and the proportion of fat is high, which is just right for making sausages.
He asked people to cut off all the pig skin in these leftovers, and then cut the meat into slices. He added wine, chili noodles, pepper noodles, sugar, five-spice powder and other seasonings according to his own recipe, and marinated it into a Sichuan-flavored spicy flavor. Son. He also borrowed a sausage-packing machine from Lao Zhao, put the marinated meat into the cleaned small intestine, and dried the water vapor.
Lin Mo was lucky. The weather has been fine these days before the Chinese New Year, and the moisture from the bacon and sausages was easily dried up.
Next, it's smoked.
The newly built pigsty in Lin Mo's house has never been used once. The house is built relatively low, the walls of the pigsty are high, and there is only one cement window on all sides, which can be blocked by simply fixing a wooden board.
Due to the limited space, he didn't want to set the house on fire by smoking bacon, so he divided the pork into two batches to smoke and roast.
During this period, Lin Mo had someone help him weld several large nets with discarded thin steel bars. These steel nets can just be placed on the pigsty. Put charcoal and cypress branches under the steel mesh, and put meat on top. The height is just right. As long as you turn it frequently, you don't have to worry about uneven heating and poor "coloring". And this kind of carefully smoked and roasted bacon not only has a good color, but also has a very fragrant taste.
When everyone spreads the bought charcoal on the ground and lights the fire, and then puts in the cypress branches at the right time, the snow-white smoke fills the whole "smoking room" and the unique aroma of bacon slowly escapes, the big stone in everyone's heart Finally let go.
To be honest, the villagers don't think much of Lin Mo tossing these sausages and bacon. In their opinion, what can Lin Mo understand? The people in the village have been making bacon for several lifetimes, and whoever’s family just put some salt to marinate it? But he put so many miscellaneous spices, so he’s not afraid of ruining the meat; and the cypress branch, who’s not Grilled directly with charcoal, the smell of wet cypress sticks penetrates into the meat, can the meat be delicious? The smoky meat, don't make it black and black, but it's all over. And the sausage, with so many seasonings added, smells delicious, but don't let it taste too sour because the added things are too complicated.
Those who came here to help Lin Mo were all people who had a good relationship with each other, and the wages were paid, but everyone wished the Lin family well from the bottom of their hearts. For this reason, many people on the way advised Lin Mo directly or tactfully not to mess around. Lin Mo knew everyone's good intentions, and he didn't dare to fool the villagers with his mother's affairs. He only said that the method of making bacon and sausages was learned from books, and they should be kept safe.
Most of the people in Qingtong Village didn’t go to junior high school. There are many people with elementary school education, and there are also many people who haven’t read a book for a day. Now that Cheng Huanhuan has passed away, only Lin Jiansong, who finished high school and studied to become a teacher, is the highest.
Everyone especially respects educated people, so when Lin Mo said that he learned those methods from books, everyone's doubts and worries turned into curiosity.
The temperature in the 'smoking and baking room' must be high, and the bacon must be turned over from time to time. Lin Mo had to go in often to check and arrange everyone's work. Fortunately, his cold is all gone, otherwise, this method of smoking, according to his previous lungs, can He was smoked directly to the hospital.
Realizing that the root cause of the illness that had been bothering him was gone, Lin Mo happily rolled on the bed several times in private.
Most of the day passed, and the first batch of bacon was finally ready. When the smoked golden red bacon was taken out of the smoking room, everyone's eyes were straightened. Although every family will kill pigs to make bacon as long as the family can get by, but there is really no one whose bacon can make such a good color.
In the evening, Lin Mo asked someone to cook a pot of bacon. When it was cut into a bowl, each piece of meat was crystal clear, thin and rosy, and delicate. When it was eaten, the unique salty smell of bacon instantly spread out, making it fat and tender. It is not greasy, thin but not firewood, and there is a faint scent of cypress branches mixed with various spices of the bacon itself in the mouth. The taste is so delicious that everyone hates to swallow their tongues together.
Try the sausages smoked and roasted with embers. They are moderately fat and thin, spicy and delicious, tender and crispy in the mouth, not as 'old' as homemade sausages. We have lived for decades, and we have never eaten such delicious sausages.
"I've taken it, I've taken it, I've taken it. A scholar is a scholar. The things he makes are different from us. The taste is absolutely amazing." The middle-aged man ate three big chopsticks bacon sausages, and couldn't help but be overwhelmed.
"Little Mo, I bet you can make a lot of money if you sell these sausages and bacon!"
"That's right, let me tell you, Xiao Mo, if you get this done earlier, you will definitely make more money."
"My son and daughter-in-law are working in other provinces, and they brought me a letter saying that the factory will have to work overtime this year, and they will not be able to go home for the New Year. I plan to send them some sausage and bacon from home in the next few days. After buying it, how much do you sell to others, and how much do I count?"
Lin Mo smiled and said: "The third aunt is too polite, you have helped me for so many days, how can I earn your money. How about this, I will only charge you the cost price. It is not easy for Brother Huzi and sister-in-law outside , just take it as a little bit of my heart."
The fat woman smiled and said, "Oh, I'll just say Xiao Mo is a benevolent kid. All right, Third Aunt will listen to you."
Next, two families who did not butcher asked Lin Mo to buy some bacon and sausages, and Lin Mo agreed to only charge them the cost price. Everyone happily had dinner, and in the evening, the remaining half of the bacon sausage was smoked and roasted.
It took a total of five days until two o'clock in the morning to finally make all the bacon sausages.
Wait until all the bacon sausages are taken down to dry in the empty room, and the coals in the smokehouse are put out, and all this is done. Lin Mo settled the wages for everyone, because tonight was counted as overtime, and everyone paid six days' wages. In addition, each family gave them a piece of good bacon and six sausages, making everyone even happier. He said that Lin Mo was too polite, and that if he needed their help in the future, just say so.
Lin Mo smiled and agreed one by one.
It's already three o'clock in the evening to send everyone off. Lin Mo slept soundly, and when the alarm went off at seven o'clock in the morning, he jumped out of bed.
Take a shower and stuff yourself with a simple breakfast. I dragged out the tricycle that had been overhauled two days ago, took fifty pieces of bacon, loaded two boxes of sausages into the car, brought a scale I borrowed from someone else’s house, and a lunch box full of sliced meat that I specially left last night. Take the good bacon and sausage together, bring enough change, and rush to the vegetable market in the county on a tricycle.
At this moment, there are only two big vegetable markets in L County, one is in the west and the other is in the east. Lin Mo chose the one in the west, which is closer to the hospital, so the old lady can help him. Although Lin Mo thought it was unnecessary, the old man couldn't help but feel worried. The old lady spent a lot of effort to rent the booth in the past two days. It is located next to the front door and the location is very good. However, the old lady felt distressed at the one hundred yuan a day.
At eight o'clock, Lin Mo finally arrived at the vegetable market, and the old lady was already waiting there. When she saw the nice-colored bacon in the car bucket, and then smelled the fragrant smell, a big smile appeared on her face, and she let go of the worries she had been carrying these days.
As the Chinese New Year is approaching, there are a lot of people buying new year's goods. The people in the city are no better than those in the countryside. There are almost no families that kill pigs for the New Year. Many people don't even bother to make their own bacon and sausages. They buy them all at the vegetable market.
It's just that everyone is worried that the price of pork will rise during the Chinese New Year, and they have already bought the bacon and sausages for the Chinese New Year. Although there are many people selling vegetables in the vegetable market, there are very few people who patronize Lin Mo's stall.
"Sister, how do you sell this bacon?" A customer saw that the color of Lin Mo's bacon was really attractive, so he came over and asked. Because of Lin Mo's tender face, everyone regarded the old lady as someone who could make decisions.
The old lady smiled and said, "Bacon costs twenty yuan a catty, and sausages cost sixteen."
"Your price is too expensive. The ones in front only sell for fifteen. If it's cheaper, I'll buy you more."
"It's all made of the best pigs, and the cost is there, so it can't be less."
Because Lin Mo has missed the best time to make bacon, pork is expensive to buy, and the ingredients are sufficient, plus labor costs, the cost of a catty of bacon is no less than twelve, and the sausage is about ten yuan, the old lady said The price is already the bottom line he can accept.
"But your price is too expensive. Forget it, I'll take care of another family." The old woman said she wanted to leave, but she was really hesitant in her heart. She buys vegetables all the year round, and she can tell at a glance that Lin Mo's bacon sausages are indeed different from other homes. Just by looking at the color, you can tell that they have used enough ingredients.
Lin Mo opened the lunch box, came to her, and said, "Mother-in-law, hurry up and try our bacon first. After you taste it, you will know that we are not selling you too expensive."
When the grandma heard that there was free bacon to taste, she was overjoyed, and unceremoniously took a big piece, took two bites, her expression changed instantly, and when she subconsciously wanted to take the second piece, Lin Mo had already taken the lunch box back went.
"Your sausage smells delicious, let me taste it, and if it's delicious, I'll buy some."
Lin Mo smiled and said, "Okay."
After eating sausages again, the old lady immediately bought two pieces of bacon and three catties of sausages to go back. She is a retired veteran cadre and has no shortage of money, but she was afraid that the 'samples' sold on Lin Mo's car were not as delicious, so she bought less, and wanted to go back to taste the taste first, and if it was better, she would buy more to go back to the New Year.
When she came home at noon, she cut a section of bacon, washed a few sausages and cooked them. After eating, she immediately asked her son to accompany her to buy a few dozen catties of it and come back for the New Year. It would be best to buy another big pig's head. Just thinking about the smell of the pig's head, the old woman couldn't help drooling.
As a result, when she and her son arrived, there would be no one else at Lin Mo's stall. When she asked the vegetable vendor next to her, she was told that Lin Mo's bacon was not only sold out, but there were also many people who made reservations. If she wanted to buy it, she had to be early tomorrow.