Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian: 夫妻肺片; pinyin: fūqī fèipiàn) is one of the most popular Sichuan dishes, beautiful in color, soft and tender, aromatic and spicy.This dish is made of thinly sliced beef, beef lung/stomach/tongue, and a generous amount of spices, including sichuan pepper corns and Chili. True to its roots, the desired taste should be both spicy and mouth-numbing.Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce is often served as a cold dish.
Many people used to translate this dish word for word as “Husband and wife’s lung slice”, which possibly terrify diners and make them think that they are visiting an uncivilized tribe in a jungle. Then more official translation:Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce.
Some people refuse animal Lungs as they think it is associated with cholesterol or junk food, thereby Fuqi feipian have lost a lot of opponents,although,in fact there are no lung slices in this dish at all now.
History of Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian)
The legend of Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce can date back to the 1930s.There is a romantic story of the origin of this famous “Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce” Sichuan dish.
In the 1930s, there was a married couple in Chengdu famous for making beef slices. The husband, Guo Zhaohua (郭朝華,the inventor), and wife, Zhang Tianzheng (張田政), were particular about the beef slices they made, and often experimented with new ingredients. As a result, their beef slices had a distinct taste which was well received by customers, so that no one can resist the charming smell in that street. However, mischievous children sometimes would pull a prank on the couples and stick a paper notes that says “Married Couple’s Offal Slices” on their backs.And due to this , people would yell the words out. Later on, a merchant tried the married couple’s beef slices and was so satisfied he gave them a gold-lettered plaque that read “Fuqi feipian”, and the name has stuck ever since.
To suit their customers’ tastes, the couples made many improvements on the dish, and offal slices were eventually replaced by various beef or lamb slices. And in fact there are not lung slices at all now, only meat from ox’s body, tongue, heart and head. When those slices are done, adding with special seasoning and celery, shallot, you will enjoy an acetarious dish pleasing to both your eyes and stomach.However,People still preferred calling the dish fuqi feipian, thus the name is still used today.
By the way,the meaning of Fei is waste parts or offal. The lung could be a part of this offal but fei is not lung by itself in this dish’s meaning.
Ingredient for Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian):
Beef: 100g
Beef Tongue: 100g
Beef heart: 150g
Beef stomach: 200g
To cook Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian),you will need these Seasonings:
Spice(star anise,fennel,cinnamon, clove, ginger), salt, red-chili oil, minced pepper, sesame, peanut, vegetable oil, celery and monosodium glutamate.
Steps to cook Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian):
1.Cut the beef into big cube, and offal (tongue, beef heart, stomach) are clean thorough with water, then marinated with all spices, salt, pepper.
2. First switch to low heat with the raging fire boiled , Stewed meat is expected to tender but not rotten, and then picked up to be cold, cut into large slices.
3. Wash the celery and cut into 1 cm-long segment. Sesame fried and cooked with the peanuts and grinded.
4. Place beef and offal into plate, then add marinade, vegetable oil, monosodium glutamate, pepper,red chili oil, sesame, peanuts, and celery, mix well .
5,Served as a cold dish
Note to eat Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce (Fuqi feipian)
Although animal organs like Beef heart and stomach are rich in iron, zinc and other trace elements and vitamins A, B2, D and so on, consumed them can effectively complement the body’s demand for these substances. But do eat less, twice a week would be nice, and each per capita consumption can not be more than 50 grams. Also, due to high levels of cholesterol in animal organs, people with high blood lipids are better not to eat.