Pork is a popular food in Vietnam due to its affordable price, nutritious value, and the ability to cook a variety of dishes. When visiting the market, most people tend to focus on buying pork belly, pork shoulder, pork loin, or spare ribs. There is a special part of the pig, the most delicious and nutritious meat, that is rarely found, weighing only 2 ounces. Housewives have to go to the market early to be able to buy it.
Má đào meat, the most delicious and nutritious part of a pig
Má đào meat is not widely known because many people are only familiar with má lợn meat. But actually, the pig’s má has 2 parts, the outside is má lợn meat and the inside is má đào meat.
The má lợn meat is usually not as tasty as má đào meat because it has more fat. Meanwhile, má đào meat has soft and alternating collagen and soft silk threads, not hard or tough at all. It is worth mentioning that a pig only has 200-300 grams of má đào meat, so it is often sold out very quickly, which is why very few people know about it.
With the soft silk threads mixed in the meat, má đào meat is a super favorite type of meat for those who don’t like tough or fatty meat. Taking a bite of má đào meat, you can’t resist the soft collagen threads that melt in your mouth, not chewy, unlike dry meat that can get stuck in your teeth as usual.
Má đào meat is usually quite rare, so if you want to buy it, you should go to the market early or even contact the seller in advance to make sure there is stock.
When choosing má đào meat, pay attention to the surface of the meat, it should be dry, not wet. If you feel the meat is wet or see signs of water, it may be the result of excessive water injection or freezing. The color of the meat should be bright, pink, with no signs of blackening. The meat should not have an antibiotic smell, should not release water or lose its elasticity.
How to make delicious grilled má đào meat
Má đào meat, with soft collagen and a layer of fat running through it, creates a characteristic tenderness, never dry or tough. With the pieces of má đào meat you bought, you can make many delicious dishes. However, boiling or steaming usually preserves the natural sweetness of the meat better. Among them, one of the easiest and delicious dishes is braised má đào meat.
Ingredients:
– 500g má đào meat;
– 1 garlic bulb;
– 1 onion;
– Brown sugar, Cinnamon, Vinegar, Cornstarch, Star anise, Peppercorns, Rice wine, Soy sauce
Instructions:
Start by washing the má đào meat thoroughly and soaking it in diluted salt water to remove the gamey smell. Then, slice the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the garlic and onion, then rinse them. Cut the onion into small wedges.
Boil water and blanch the meat for about 3-4 minutes. After blanching the meat, remove it and place it in a large pot. Next, add layers of onion, cinnamon, star anise, garlic, and peppercorns to the pot, then pour water into the pot to submerge the meat. Cover and bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, open the lid and add ½ teaspoon of vinegar and ½ tablespoon of rice wine to the pot. Continue boiling for about 7-8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and star anise after they have absorbed the aroma. Season with brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce to suit your taste. Simmer for about 15 minutes. When the meat is tender and the sauce is almost reduced, dissolve ½ tablespoon of cornstarch in water, then pour it into the pot. Simmer until the meat sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.
Braised má đào meat with quail eggs
After washing the meat with saltwater, boil the quail eggs and peel them. Before braising, marinate the meat with fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, purple onions, and minced chili.
When braising, add the food coloring, then briefly stir-fry the marinated meat with coconut juice to give the meat a natural sweetness. Finally, add the quail eggs and it is done. This braised má đào meat dish is not only not greasy like regular fat meat but also tender thanks to the combination of collagen and meat.
Some tips for cooking delicious má đào meat
Although the cooking recipe seems quite simple, to make má đào meat dish perfect, we need to pay attention to some important points:
– Make sure to cook the meat long enough for it to become tender, not dry and tough.
– Instead of blanching the meat directly, you can lightly fry the meat on a pan to create a golden color on both sides before placing it in the stew or braising.
– During the process of blanching the meat, if you add a few slices of fresh ginger and scallion, it will help remove the gamey smell and bring a more delicious aroma.
– You can also replace rice wine with apple brandy or red wine to give the má đào meat a unique and enticing flavor.