Chapter 835: Big Head and Sesame Salt

Calling it marinating was a bit of a stretch; in reality, it involved cutting many small slits into the little wild boar and then evenly rubbing a mixture of soybean paste, chili powder, minced wild chives, and minced wild garlic into the meat.

While rubbing, he also pressed down firmly to ensure the pork absorbed as much of the flavor from these four seasonings as possible.

The wild chives Wang An used are also known as wild onions, or sand chives in other regions.

To put it simply, they are a type of onion and look similar to domestic ones, though they are generally thinner and the leaves are a darker shade of green.

In these great mountains, wild chives are practically everywhere; Wang An had simply plucked a handful right in front of his dugout.

Now, wild chives are quite delicious when used as a garnish, in stir-fries, or for pickling, but their taste is truly subpar when eaten as a dip.

This is because they are not only very pungent but also slightly bitter and astringent.

Basically, as long as domestic onions are available for dipping, almost no one uses wild chives for that purpose.

As for the wild garlic, it is also called small-root garlic or bitter garlic.

However, locally, people simply call it "Big Head" or "Big Forehead."

The "Big Head" variety is quite popular locally; whether eaten as a dip or used for pickling, it is exceptionally tasty.

Like the wild chives, these are also found everywhere in the mountains.

During this season, they are present on the dining table of almost every household at every single meal.

It must be said that by adding wild chives and "Big Head" garlic while marinating the little wild boar, Wang An had essentially breathed a soul into the roast suckling pig. The aroma surged upward instantly, elevating the dish by more than one grade.

Mainly, compared to home-grown onions and garlic, the flavors of wild chives and wild garlic are more intense and unique. Once neutralized by the soybean paste, the scent of these simple seasonings alone was incredibly fragrant.

Of course, this combination of seasonings is actually a very famous local side dish called "Mixed Chili."

The preparation is quite simple: mix dried chilies, garlic, and green onions in a ratio of 5:2:3, and mince them all into the consistency of dumpling filling.

Finally, stir them evenly with a slightly thinned soybean paste, and it's done.

If you have MSG, adding a tiny pinch makes it taste even better.

No exaggeration—this "Mixed Chili" side dish is practically an all-rounder. Dipping dumplings, mixing with noodles, mixing with rice, stuffing it in steamed buns, wrapping it in pancakes, and so on—it is absolutely delicious in every form.

And so, after Wang An finished curing the little wild boar with these four available seasonings, he completely coated the meat in soybean paste, completing the marinating process.

Finally, Wang An whittled a few sticks to prop the little wild boar open into a flat shape, fixed it in front of the fire, and began roasting.

Actually, at this stage of roasting a suckling pig, one should brush some oil onto the boar, but since conditions didn't allow for it, this would have to do.

Soon, the very distinct aroma of roast suckling pig began to waft out.

The primary scents were that of roasting meat and toasted soybean paste, but intertwined within were notes of milkiness and the fragrance of onions, garlic, and chilies.

Even though Wang An wasn't hungry, he couldn't help but swallow repeatedly upon smelling the aroma.

It must be said that in his previous life, Wang An had eaten plenty of roast suckling pig—the kind with complete seasonings and professional techniques.

But now, Wang An suddenly discovered that this primitive, ecological method was actually superior.

At the very least, the aroma he smelled now was something a professional roast suckling pig couldn't compete with.

To borrow a phrase from later generations: "High-end ingredients do not require complex cooking methods."

To make the pig cook faster, Wang An thought for a moment and split the fire into two piles.

This way, there were fires on both sides of the roast pig; not only did he not have to flip it, but the heat was also distributed quite evenly.

Just as Wang An was staring intently at the roast pig, analyzing when he could finally take a bite to taste the saltiness, Wang Li returned on horseback.

Before even dismounting, Wang Li shouted

"Fourth Brother, this smells too good! When will it be done? Oh my god, in all my life, I've never smelled anything this fragrant!"

Wang An checked his watch and said with a smile

"It's been roasting for less than half an hour. At the earliest, it'll be another hour and a half."

Actually, because the meat of a little wild boar is quite tender, it cooks very easily.

However, because the suckling pig was being roasted whole, the combination of bone and meat was thick, so the speed naturally couldn't be too fast.

After Wang An spoke, Wang Li made a bitter face and said

"Another hour and a half? Oh man, this smell is too tempting; I'm practically drooling."

Ignoring Wang Li's complaints, Wang An said cheerfully

"Did you bring everything I asked for? Mainly the liquor and the sesame seeds."

The reason he didn't mention garlic was that Wang An felt the "Big Head" garlic could substitute for it.

After Wang An spoke, he heard Wang Li say

"Brought them, brought them. I brought the garlic too. By the way, Fourth Brother, what do you want sesame seeds for? Do you put sesame seeds on roast meat? It won't stick now that it's already roasting."

As he said the last sentence, Wang Li pointed to the surface of the roast pig, which had already dried out.

Wang An didn't answer the question but pointed to the small iron pot and said

"Go make some sesame salt; we'll use it as a dip for the meat in a bit."

Sesame salt is essentially the product of roasting sesame seeds, crushing them, and then mixing them with salt.

This stuff is incredibly fragrant—fragrant just to smell, and good whether eaten plain or mixed with rice. Using it as a dip was actually a bit extravagant.

Mainly because sesame seeds have never been cheap since ancient times.

In fact, sesame seeds are the raw material for pressing fragrant oil, and the crushed residue left after pressing is the well-known sesame paste.

Wang Li was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise

"Eat meat dipped in sesame salt?"

It was clear that Wang Li had never eaten it this way, nor had he even heard of it.

Wang An nodded with a smile

"Yep, you've gotta dip the meat in it. You'll know once you taste it—it's absolutely delicious, hahahaha!"

Wang Li didn't doubt this point; sesame salt itself was a delicious thing, and if paired with roast meat, it would be a so-called "powerhouse combination."

And so, following Wang An's instructions, Wang Li got to work.

Since making sesame salt didn't take much time, the hot sesame salt was fried up by Wang Li in less than twenty minutes.

Thanks to "Big-sized Empire Emperor" for the reward, thank you, thank you, a thousand thanks!

(End of Chapter)