三川
蘭溪風(fēng)肉是個(gè)地理名稱。就像東陽(yáng)蔣腿、浦江戌腿是金華火腿的珍品一樣,“轉(zhuǎn)輪巖”風(fēng)肉亦是蘭溪風(fēng)肉中的翹楚。
金華人頗有口福。撇開(kāi)地理環(huán)境、物價(jià)指數(shù)、交通物流等宜居條件不論,光豐富的肉食就讓人垂涎不已:焐肉、風(fēng)肉、出缸肉……
焐肉,多以金華兩頭烏燜制,油而不膩,哪個(gè)不愛(ài)?出缸肉來(lái)自“博士之鄉(xiāng)”東陽(yáng),油亮咸鮮,配飯下酒俱佳。而風(fēng)肉則是蘭溪特產(chǎn),聲名雖不及焐肉、出缸肉響亮,顏值卻頗高。在我的眼里,風(fēng)肉肌紅脂白,紋理鮮明,顫悠悠地懸掛在青瓦檐頭,窗前閣口,美得就像一幅唯美油畫(huà)。
關(guān)于風(fēng)肉的江湖傳說(shuō)
蘭溪風(fēng)肉是個(gè)帶地理名稱的特產(chǎn)。就像東陽(yáng)蔣腿是金華火腿中的珍品一樣,“轉(zhuǎn)輪巖”風(fēng)肉則是蘭溪風(fēng)肉中的翹楚。
轉(zhuǎn)輪巖乃金華山余脈,山不高峻,也無(wú)奇秀,然頂若旋盤(pán),山風(fēng)掠過(guò),呼呼有聲,故名轉(zhuǎn)輪巖。
轉(zhuǎn)輪巖雖說(shuō)籍籍無(wú)名,但這個(gè)以山命名的風(fēng)肉卻是浙江省知名品牌,其生產(chǎn)工藝已被列入省級(jí)非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)名錄。為了避嫌,姑且隱去一些基本元素,但仍繞不開(kāi)蘭溪風(fēng)肉第五代傳人陳道響。
聽(tīng)陳道響說(shuō),“轉(zhuǎn)輪巖”風(fēng)肉在南北朝時(shí)便已出現(xiàn),俗稱“干肉”,雅名“風(fēng)肉”則出于蘭溪鄉(xiāng)賢舒元輿之口。
舒元輿(791~835年),字升遠(yuǎn),唐東陽(yáng)郡蘭溪純孝鄉(xiāng)人,官至宰相,著有《舒元輿集》等,曾與白居易互為唱和,有作品收錄于《全唐詩(shī)》,名句“寶劍鋒從磨礪出”便出自其手。
在蘭溪能被稱作鄉(xiāng)賢的,皆非泛泛之輩,諸如貫休、李漁、趙一荻等等。據(jù)坊間傳聞,朱元璋與蘭溪亦頗有淵源。元末,朱元璋戰(zhàn)敗后逃至轉(zhuǎn)輪巖,有幸嘗到了當(dāng)?shù)孛a(chǎn)風(fēng)肉。明朝開(kāi)元不久,朱元璋便按圖索驥,將轉(zhuǎn)輪巖風(fēng)肉封為貢品。百十年之后,朱元璋第八代孫朱厚照游歷蘭溪,親見(jiàn)先祖愛(ài)吃的蘭溪風(fēng)肉,情不自禁地寫(xiě)下“蘭蔭深處,風(fēng)肉飄香”八字。
記憶是一根柔韌的線索,將酸甜苦辣的時(shí)光碎片串聯(lián)在一起。美食需要傳承,但諸如此類的歷史故事,多為好事者的演繹,只能姑妄聽(tīng)之。
江南才子袁枚曾寫(xiě)道:“殺豬一口,斬成八塊,每塊炒鹽四錢(qián),細(xì)細(xì)揉擦,使之無(wú)微不到。然后高掛有風(fēng)無(wú)日處……”(《隨園食單》)不少蘭溪人如獲至寶,頻頻拿來(lái)豐富風(fēng)肉的文化內(nèi)涵。在我看來(lái),且不說(shuō)誤人子弟,總有些牽強(qiáng)附會(huì),不太嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)。因?yàn)樵端f(shuō)的“八塊”,明明是江南農(nóng)家常見(jiàn)的臘肉——宰了年豬,剖為兩爿,每爿切成四塊(后腿、前腿各一只,腹部再一分為二),共計(jì)“八塊”。
臘肉,是鹽腌的咸肉,在烘房中經(jīng)火烘或煙熏而成?!兑捉?jīng)》說(shuō):“于陽(yáng)而煬于火,曰臘肉?!闭f(shuō)明我國(guó)在2000余年前已有臘肉。臘肉在南宋《歲時(shí)廣記》、明《丹船總錄·飲食》中也多有記載。
當(dāng)然,烘肉或者熏肉多見(jiàn)于中原腹地。到了江南,腌肉用水泡一泡,退一退鹽分,即懸掛于老房子的門(mén)梁下、窗臺(tái)邊,任由山風(fēng)、陽(yáng)光和時(shí)間的催化……
鹽會(huì)讓肉不易變質(zhì)。風(fēng)肉無(wú)疑是臘肉,但較之于臘肉,它有鮮明的特質(zhì)——低鹽。也許,這是風(fēng)肉從臘肉中分離出來(lái)的緣由,也更符合現(xiàn)代人的飲食習(xí)慣。
風(fēng)肉背后的天時(shí)地利
風(fēng)肉紅白相間,是風(fēng)干的五花肉。兩爿百把斤的鮮肉,僅有十來(lái)斤好用。剔除肋骨,去凈皮質(zhì)上的毛發(fā)和雜質(zhì),擠出血管內(nèi)的淤血,快刀切成兩厘米寬的肉條,再給它綁上新鮮棕櫚葉,涂抹適量花椒鹽,“高掛有風(fēng)無(wú)日處”。如此,掛了洗,洗了掛,往復(fù)五六次,才算大功告成。
顧名思義,“風(fēng)”乃風(fēng)肉之“魂”。江南孟冬,小雪來(lái)臨,“天氣”上騰,“地氣”下沉,空氣干燥,最宜風(fēng)干。
風(fēng)肉懼濕,但亦不喜干;懼熱,但亦不喜寒。太濕,容易使懸肉生蟲(chóng)變質(zhì),太干又極易導(dǎo)致肉質(zhì)硬化;天寒可防腐,但太寒則凍徹懸肉,腌味難以入肉,氣候太暖和雖味能入肉,卻又不能久放。
“道可道,非常道。名可名,非常名。”曾問(wèn)道響,如何解決這一“二律背反”矛盾?“地利。”道響實(shí)誠(chéng),一語(yǔ)中的。
天不幫忙,風(fēng)肉亦不美。一條上佳風(fēng)肉必定熟知白雪的氣息,吸收了陽(yáng)光的氣味,肉質(zhì)結(jié)實(shí)緊致,既可獨(dú)烹,也可吊湯,更可煉油混炒。
風(fēng)肉怎么做才最鮮美
“蒸”有真味。上鍋隔水蒸半小時(shí),滿屋子都是濃濃的肉香。趁熱切片,金黃色的是皮,透明粉白的是肥肉,棗紅色的是精肉。
有人說(shuō),花生米、豬油渣、醬爆螺螄是俗人下酒之“妙物”。殊不知,等你嘗過(guò)風(fēng)肉,“三兄弟”恐怕就要變成“四金剛”。
有一回,我將農(nóng)家烤豆腐配上剛蒸熟的風(fēng)肉,居然亦是門(mén)當(dāng)戶對(duì)——豆腐切片,兩面烤黃,風(fēng)肉薄片與金黃豆腐齊整地碼在橢圓形盤(pán)子的兩端,中間置放一碟土蜂蜜。豆香、臘香,交相混香;一硬一軟,一咸一淡,相得益彰。
“糖蘸風(fēng)肉”,據(jù)說(shuō)是朱元璋愛(ài)吃的御宴珍品,是否屬實(shí),且不管它。蘭溪也有一款“蜜汁風(fēng)肉”,風(fēng)肉薄如蟬翼,糖霜替代蜜汁,蘸而食之,咸甜交錯(cuò),嘎嘣有聲。
筷夾“刀板香”,心想農(nóng)家樂(lè)?!暗栋逑恪笔俏叶抛牟嗣?,自忖有點(diǎn)點(diǎn)創(chuàng)意。因?yàn)樗屓讼肫稹靶颉⒘魉?、人家”,想起“桃花源里人家”,想起“炊煙裊裊香黃粱”的農(nóng)家大廚房,想起農(nóng)家切菜的大砧板,更讓人想起農(nóng)家純情待客的大塊臘肉香。
風(fēng)肉與竹筍是一對(duì)歡喜冤家。冬筍鮮美,愛(ài)耍小脾氣,單獨(dú)清炒,舌頭會(huì)有些發(fā)麻。但如果和風(fēng)肉混燉,它的那點(diǎn)小脾氣就蕩然無(wú)存。
“腌篤鮮”乃江南名饌,頻現(xiàn)餐桌。春筍以時(shí)令之鮮,風(fēng)肉以內(nèi)化之鮮,鮮鮮相印,“篤”就了咸肉燉春筍的靈魂。而蘭溪人棄“篤”愛(ài)“蒸”,亦是別出心裁——春筍切成滾刀塊,風(fēng)肉切薄片,覆蓋其上,猛火蒸十分鐘,俗稱“風(fēng)肉蒸筍”。
風(fēng)肉燉蘿卜也是不錯(cuò)的選擇。蘿卜切塊,一條風(fēng)肉對(duì)半切斷,一塊兒入鍋。先急火猛燉,再文火慢烀;大火轉(zhuǎn)小火,慢慢熬煮,好聽(tīng)的聲音——咕嘟,咕嘟,透出曼妙風(fēng)味。燉時(shí),你可以在廚房里,望望遠(yuǎn),聽(tīng)聽(tīng)歌,還可以隨手點(diǎn)開(kāi)幾段折子戲:陳美蘭的“穆桂英掛帥”,吳光煜的“小和尚下山”、張建敏的“三請(qǐng)樊梨花”……
婉轉(zhuǎn)的歌聲來(lái)自靈魂的吟唱,和現(xiàn)實(shí)當(dāng)中愈來(lái)愈濃的肉香交織,精神的物質(zhì)的,豐沛之至,真讓人不知怎樣安然消受這豐腴的幸福。
風(fēng)肉過(guò)老酒,鄉(xiāng)情暖人心。近代著名記者、作家曹聚仁乃蘭溪梅江人,特別珍惜親友團(tuán)聚的愜意時(shí)光。那一年,他回歸闊別多年的故里,信手寫(xiě)下切身感受:“蘭江兩岸三寸雪,風(fēng)過(guò)懸肉勝梅香!”
(本文圖片來(lái)自視覺(jué)中國(guó))
Lanxi, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua in central Zhejiang, boasts the preserved pork, a specially pickled local delicacy, despite the fact that Jinhua is famed for many other brands of bacons and hams.
The preserved pork of Lanxi is also known as air-dried pork. In Lanxi, there are a number of brands of the air-dried pork. My favorite is “Wheel Rock” preserved pork. The rock itself is little known to people beyond Lanxi, but the Wheel Rock Preserved Pork is a time-honored brand of Zhejiang.
Unlike Jinhua Ham which is dried by fire or smoke inside a well-designed and well operated workshop, the preserved pork of Lanxi is dried outdoors, usually under eaves, getting cured by wind, temperature and time. The meat for air-dried pork comes from sides of slaughtered pigs, with ribs removed. The meat is cut into long slices about two centimeters wide. The slices are pickled with salt commingled with the powder of Sichuan peppercorn. The slices are then wrapped up in the palm fronds before they are hanged out under eaves. After a period of time, the pork is washed to remove some salt. And then it is air-dried again. This dry-and-washing process must be repeated at least five times. This process creates an outstanding feature that distinguishes the preserved pork of Lanxi from all other bacons and hams: it is not annoyingly salty. In Lanxi, the appropriate time to pickle and air-dry pork is early November when it is relatively dry and cold. If the weather is too humid or too dry or too cold, the meat will not cure well.
According to Chen Daoxiang, the fifth-generation master of the air-dried pork of Lanxi, Lanxi boasts a full range of opportune weather advantages for preserving pork well. He says that the preserved pork of Lanxi dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589) and it was Shu Yuanyu (791-835), a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty and native of Lanxi, who first called the delicacy air-dried pork.
Some folk historians in Lanxi eagerly circulate a story about the preserved pork of Lanxi. According to these historians, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), enjoyed the preserved pork of Lanxi after his army of insurgents was routed and he went into hiding in Lanxi. After he founded the dynasty, he ordered the preserved pork to be shipped as tribute from Lanxi to the court every year. Many years later, Zhu Houzhao, an eight-generation grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang and the tenth emperor of the Ming, visited Lanxi and wrote a short inscription in praise of the pork his forefather loved so much. Whether the story is true or not, the pork is indisputably and charmingly delicious.
There are many ways to cook and enjoy the Wheel Rock Preserved Pork. For some gourmets, the preserved pork of Lanxi tastes best after it is steamed for half an hour. Additionally, the steamed preserved pork gives a pleasant odor and looks nice, adding a hedonic pleasure to the deliciousness. The steamed pork can also be served with fried tofu. The delicacy is most enjoyable if it is served with a small bowl of honey. The diner can dip the pork into honey. It offers a thrilling mouth feel. The preserved pork, when cut into extremely thin slices, can be a great treat if the diner dips the slices into fine sugar. The preserved pork, if cut into chops, can go well with fried tofu, also cut into chops. The chops of winter bamboo shoot and preserved pork are a perfect mix. The sliced preserved pork can be best enjoyed if steamed with chopped spring bamboo shoot. Radish chops and preserved pork can also be stewed together and it is popular with many local residents in Lanxi.