Wenshan flavor: Beef roasted with vinegar

Editor's note:

From material choice to beef cutting and from vinegar soak to roasting, the Wenshan sour beef is of seemingly plain but actually particular steps. “In making the sour beef, one should choose the lean meat that is cut into thin slices two thirds as long as the bamboo sticks. It is hard to string up shorter slices, while the thicker slices cannot be thoroughly soaked by the vinegar.

Beef roasted with vinegar

In southeast Yunnan’s Wenshan Zhuang and Maio Autonomous Prefecture, people enjoy sour and hot dishes. In the eyes of locals, the most earthly night life begins with the sour beef.

Wang Tian, a Wenshan native, has been a foodie since childhood, having tasted most of the special snacks in the prefecture. Now, Wang has opened a “Super Sour Beef” barbecue shop. “I like eating, and I also study on diet.” Wang said that the sour vinegar can make beef tender, and thus it is good to match vinegar with beef -- a meat that gets harder easily.

“In making the sour beef, lean meat is chosen. The lean beef is first cut into bits, which are further cut into thin slices two thirds as long as the bamboo sticks. If the slices are short, it won’t be easy to string them up. If the slices are thick, they won’t be thoroughly soaked by the vinegar,” said Wang Cong, younger brother of Wang Tian. While talking with the visitors, Wang Cong, who is also manager of the beef shop, put the thinly-cut beef slices onto the sticks. When the beef strings were fully soaked and the red pepper powder was sprinkled, the roasting began.

Grilled by the charcoal fire, the beef began sizzling with oil, spiciness assailing the nostrils. “Strong fire will get the beef burned, weak fire will make it pliable, so it is best to have the beef moderately heated,” said Wang Tian, soaking the grilled beef with vinegar. “After the grilled beef is soaked in vinegar once more, it will be put back to the fire, with pepper powder sprinkled. At last, it can be served onto the table.”

Being cooled down by vinegar, the raw beef strings do not emit steam, but the aroma of the grilled sour beef has gone far beyond the kitchen. “A bite on the beef strung on the stick, the diner can only sense its tastiness via thorough chewing.” Wang Tian revealed her tasting tip as a foodie.

Source: Yunnan Tourism and Culture Times; Online photos;  Trans-editing by Wang Shixue