Lipu Taro and Braised Pork is a well - known traditional famous dish in Guilin and a brilliant gem in Guilin's food treasure - house.
The core ingredients of this dish are the Lipu - specialty betel nut taro and streaky pork. The Lipu betel nut taro is a local treasure. It's oval - shaped, relatively large in size, and has a fine texture. The taro itself has a natural delicate fragrance and a faint sweetness. This unique taste is one of the foundations of the deliciousness of this dish. The streaky pork is also carefully selected. It has a proper combination of fat and lean, just like a beautiful marble - patterned design. The fat part is crystal - clear, and the lean part has clear - cut texture, making the streaky pork rich in taste. It won't be tough because it's all lean meat, nor will it be greasy because of too much fat.
The preparation of Lipu Taro and Braised Pork is a complicated and delicate process. Firstly, there is the boiling process. Put the streaky pork and taro into separate pots and boil them. During the boiling process, the blood and impurities of the streaky pork are removed, and the taro becomes even more tender. After boiling, take out the streaky pork and make several cuts on its surface. This can facilitate the absorption of flavor later. Then comes the frying step. Put the streaky pork into hot oil and fry it. With the "sizzling" sound, the outer skin of the streaky pork quickly becomes golden - brown and crispy, as if it's wearing a layer of golden - brown hard shell. This not only adds a taste level to the meat but also better locks in the juice during the subsequent steaming process. The taro also needs to be fried. After frying, the outer skin of the taro becomes slightly hard, but the inside still remains tender, adding a special taste to it.
The next is the crucial steaming process. Cut the fried streaky pork and taro into evenly - sized slices. Place a slice of streaky pork and a slice of taro together neatly in a bowl. Then add special - made sauce, sugar, salt, cooking wine and other seasonings. These seasonings blend with each other to form a rich flavor. During the steaming process, the fat of the streaky pork slowly seeps out and penetrates into the taro. The taro is like a sponge, absorbing the essence of the meat juice to the fullest. After a long - term steaming, the taro becomes even more tender, sweet and fragrant, and every bite is full of the mellow flavor of the meat juice. The streaky pork also undergoes wonderful changes during this process. The fat part becomes even softer and tender, fat but not greasy, and the lean part still maintains a firm texture, with a faint sweetness in the salty flavor. The intertwined sweet and salty taste is memorable.
When Lipu Taro and Braised Pork is served on the table, its aroma wafts over. The strong meaty aroma and the delicate fragrance of the taro are mixed together, making people's mouths water. Pick up a piece with chopsticks. The taro is so tender that it's almost slipping off the chopsticks. Put it in your mouth. The first thing you feel is the tender, sweet and fragrant taro. It melts in your mouth, as if it's a sweet encounter. Immediately after that, there is the taste of the streaky pork. The fat part melts in your mouth, and the lean part has a good chewiness. The sweet and salty flavors collide on the tip of your tongue, forming a perfect balance. Whether in terms of taste or texture, Lipu Taro and Braised Pork reflects the exquisiteness and delicacy of Guilin's cuisine and is an unforgettable dish.
