pork face

1

First shave off the pig's face and brush it with clean water. Put it into a boiling water pot and cook for 15 minutes, remove and wash it.

2

Then put soy sauce, white sugar, rice wine, star anise, cinnamon, cinnamon, angelica root, refined salt, onion and ginger, garlic slices, and pepper into a casserole, add the stock to boil, and beat off the foam.

3

Put the pig's face into a casserole, bring to a boil over high heat, and simmer slowly until it is cooked and remove the pig's face and place it on a plate with the skin facing up. Pour on the original soup.

Since ancient times, offerings to the gods have invariably involved the "three sacrificial animals"—pig, ox, and sheep. Later, this practice was simplified to the use of the heads of these three animals, the pig's head being one of them. Additionally, a story recorded in the Song Dynasty text *Chouchi Notes* relates the following: After General Wang pacified the Ba-Shu region, he felt extremely hungry. He barged into a small village temple, only to encounter a drunken monk. General Wang flew into a rage and intended to behead him; however, the monk showed no fear whatsoever. Puzzled by this, General Wang changed his approach and asked for food. Before long, the monk presented a plate of "Steamed Pig's Head" and composed a poem for it: "Long snout, short hair, with a touch of fat within, / Having long fed on medicinal herbs in the mountains. / Wrapped in banana leaves when steaming, / Drizzled with apricot sauce when done. / Its bright red elegance suits the golden plate, / So tender and soft, it warrants jade chopsticks to pick. / Were it not compared to this hairy beast, / The felt-root would be eating vines instead." As General Wang ate the steamed pig's head and listened to the witty and unique "Pig's Head Poem," he was overjoyed. Consequently, he conferred the title of "Master of the Purple Robe" upon the monk. It seems that the pig's head is truly a delicacy, as well as a symbol of good fortune for turning peril into safety and achieving rapid advancement. "Braised Pig Face" undergoes twelve steps—including ingredient selection, cleaning, roasting, soaking, and marinating—and requires over ten hours of cooking before it can be served at the table. There are three ways to enjoy "Braised Pig Face": eating it in its original flavor, dipping it in sauce, or wrapping it in a thin pancake. Each method offers a distinct taste. "Braised Pig Face" is fatty but not greasy; the meat falls off the bone, and it is glutinous, fragrant, and delicious. It offers modern people benefits such as skin beautification and brain health. Eating modern "Braised Pig Face" on the "Dragon Heads-raising Day" (the second day of the second lunar month) while reflecting on ancient culinary history is truly a perfect experience blending the contemporary with the past.