With 6 years of experience in making smoked meat (also known as smoked meat), Ms. Lo Thi Duyen in Muong Cha town, Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province, said that smoked buffalo, beef and pork are indispensable dishes on the Tet tray of the Thai ethnic group.
To make the standard smoked meat, Ms. Duyen often chooses the thighs of the two hind legs. In addition, to make the smoked meat delicious and preserve it for a long time, her family often processes the meat right after taking it from the slaughterhouse.
After the meat is cut into pieces about 3-4cm wide and 14cm thick, it will be marinated thoroughly with a mixture of spices including: dried chili, garlic, ginger, salt and MSG. Most notably, it must have mac khen seeds and doi seeds, typical spices of the Northwest mountains and forests. After marinating with spices, let the meat soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour (some families even dry it in the sun for about 6 hours) before drying.
When drying, each piece of meat is skewered evenly onto bamboo/iron sticks or skewered onto a hanging wire and placed next to the fire, keeping a certain distance to ensure the meat is cooked evenly and does not stick together. The drying process with heat and smoke takes about 24 hours.
To get the characteristic flavor, Ms. Duyen is very careful in choosing the type of wood to burn. Large pieces of wood, when burned, create a lot of embers, which will help the wood stove always burn red and emit just enough smoke, creating a beautiful color for the meat and helping the meat to be preserved longer.
“With dried buffalo meat processed using the traditional method, it is usually dark brown, the inside of the meat will be pink-red and have white fibers on the edges and corners. When you pick up the meat, it will spread a spicy aroma mixed with the flavor of typical Northwest spices” - said Duyen.
Mr. Tong Van Phong - Muong Bang commune, Tua Chua district - owner of Tua Chua Food - said: "Actually, making smoked meat is not difficult, but if you are not careful, it is easy to make mistakes. The most common mistake is choosing the wrong type of meat. It must be fresh meat, preferably the thigh part."
In addition, beginners need to pay attention to marinating the meat for enough time and using the right spices that are considered the soul of the smoked meat dish such as: mac khen seeds, doi seeds, and salt. Finally, many people leave the meat too close to the fire when drying, causing the meat to become dry or burnt, losing its natural sweetness.
The owner of the establishment said that in the past, hanging meat on the kitchen was a way for people to preserve meat for a long time. Before eating, they would marinate it with salt and hang it above the wood stove. They would cook it every day and the smoke from the stove would dry the meat naturally. Over time, it became a cultural habit and gave birth to the specialty of hanging meat on the kitchen stove as it is today.
“Nowadays, many households do not use wood stoves regularly, so we keep them in vacuum bags or wrap them carefully in clean paper and keep them in a dry place. If you use them for a long time, you can put them in the freezer,” said Mr. Phong.
Mr. Phong added that the best way to make smoked meat is to grill it over charcoal, but if you don't have that, you can microwave it or steam it. Shred it into small pieces and eat it with cham cheo - a typical Thai dipping sauce - which is very delicious.
Nowadays, bacon is not only a dish of the Thai people but has become a popular product among consumers, especially during the holidays.
