Lemon slices, a perfect combination of fresh lemon and tender meat, not only make people salivate, but also interpret a feast of sweet and sour on the taste buds. Want to master the authentic recipe for this delicacy? Next, let's step into the world of lemon slices and explore the culinary secrets behind them.
1. Carefully select materials to lay the foundation for deliciousness
To make a delicious lemon slice, the choice of ingredients is a crucial step. High-quality ingredients can provide a solid foundation for dishes and make them taste more delicious.
1. Main material selection
Pork is an indispensable ingredient for lemon slices. In order to ensure the tenderness of the meat and the delicate taste, we recommend using fresh pork tenderloin. This piece of meat, which sits on the inside of the pork spine, is tender and easy to cook, making it ideal for lemon slices.
When choosing pork tenderloin, we need to pay attention to the following points: first, the meat should be pink with a certain luster on the surface, so that the meat quality is fresh; Secondly, the elasticity of the meat can be checked by pressing the cut, and fresh pork will quickly return to its original shape after pressing; Finally, smell the pieces of meat for odors, fresh pork should have no foul smell or other unusual odors.
To ensure optimal meat quality, we recommend cooking with about 500 grams of pork tenderloin at a time. This is a portion that is suitable for home cooking while maintaining the freshness of the ingredients.
2. Excipient selection
In addition to the main material, the choice of excipients is also crucial. Here's a list of our top picks for lemon slices:
A. Fresh lemons: For the best lemon flavor, we recommend choosing fresh lemons with smooth skin and bright color. Such lemons are not only juicy, but also have a moderate acidity, which is able to add a refreshing sourness to the meat slices.
B. Green and red peppers: The addition of green and red peppers not only adds color to the dish, but also provides a certain spiciness and vitamins. When choosing, we should choose green and red peppers with bright color and full flesh.
C. Garlic and ginger: These two spices remove the fishy smell of pork and enhance the overall flavor of the dish. We should choose fresh, plump garlic and ginger for cooking.
D. Seasonings such as cooking wine, starch, egg whites, etc.: These seasonings can help marinate the meat slices, making them more flavorful and keeping them tender. When choosing, we should pay attention to checking its production date and shelf life to ensure the freshness of the seasoning.
In order to ensure the freshness and quality of the seasoning, we can choose products from well-known brands or buy them in the regular market. You can also add some other seasonings such as light soy sauce and dark soy sauce according to your personal taste to enrich the layering of the dish.
2. Prepare in advance to create the perfect ingredients
After choosing the ingredients, we need to carry out a series of preliminary preparations. The goal of these steps is to add flavor to the ingredients while enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
1. Pork handling
First, clean the pork tenderloin of your choice. During the cleaning process, a little salt can be added for scrubbing to remove dirt and bacteria from the surface. Next, use a sharp knife to cut the pork into thin slices. When slicing, pay attention to the knife technique and follow the texture of the meat, so that the cut meat is not only uniform in size, but also maintains the integrity of the meat.
Put the sliced meat into a large bowl and add an appropriate amount of cooking wine to remove the smell and increase the flavor. Light soy sauce, salt to taste, egg whites and starch are then added to enhance the tenderness of the slices. Gently grasp the dressing and slices with your hands to ensure that each slice of meat is evenly coated. Marinate for at least 20 minutes to allow the slices of meat to fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning.
2. Lemon with green and red pepper processing
After washing the fresh lemon, use a peeling knife to gently scrape off part of the yellow layer of the epidermis, taking care not to scratch the white part to avoid a bitter taste. These lemon peels will add aroma to the dish during subsequent cooking. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice vigorously. Green and red peppers need to be seeded and finely shredded for later use to ripen quickly and retain their crispiness during cooking.
3. Prepare the garlic and ginger
Garlic and ginger are important seasonings that also need to be delicately processed before cooking. Peel the garlic and cut it into minced garlic, while the ginger is washed and cut into minced ginger. These two spices remove the fishy smell of the pork and enhance the overall flavor during cooking, so it is important to maintain its fineness during preparation to better release the aroma.
3. Cooking steps to show the beauty of cooking
After careful preparation, we finally ushered in the exciting cooking session. In this part, we'll go through a series of delicate steps to create a delicious lemon slice.
1. Heat the pan with cold oil and stir-fry the spices
Choosing a good pot is one of the keys to successful cooking. Here we recommend using pots and pans with good thermal conductivity, such as non-stick pans or cast iron pans. Add an appropriate amount of cooking oil and preheat it, taking care that the amount of oil is moderate so as not to be too greasy or sticky to the pan. When the oil temperature reaches 60% hot (about 180°C), add the chopped garlic and ginger and stir-fry until the rich aroma is exuded.
2. Stir-fry quickly to lock in the aroma of the meat
Next, the marinated meat slices are quickly placed in the pan and stir-fried, a step designed to quickly lock in the aroma of the meat and heat it evenly. When stir-frying, pay attention to the control of heat and keep the heat on medium to avoid the meat slices becoming old or undercooked. When the slices of meat have changed color, they can be set aside to maintain their tender texture.
3. Process green and red peppers to add color and texture
After leaving the bottom oil in the pan, put the sliced green and red peppers into the pan and stir-fry quickly until they are broken, which can not only maintain their crisp texture but also add a touch of bright color to the dish. Green and red peppers are also rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, which is great for good health.
4. Mix the lemon sauce and infuse it with soul
In a small bowl, pour the previously squeezed lemon juice into it and add an appropriate amount of sugar to neutralize the sourness of the lemon and enhance the overall flavor. Then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and a small amount of water to dilute, stir well and set aside, this lemon sauce will become the soul of the whole dish.
5. Combine and stir-fry for a delicious appearance
Pour the previously fried meat slices back into the pan and stir-fry quickly with the prepared lemon sauce so that each slice of meat is evenly coated with the sauce and absorbs its flavor. Then add the shredded green and red peppers and continue to stir-fry until the flavor is incorporated. In this step, attention should be paid to the control of the heat and the uniformity of the stir-fry to ensure the quality and taste of the dish.
6. Remove the juice from the pot and present it perfectly
Before leaving the pot, you can turn up the heat appropriately to quickly dry the remaining soup in the pot, which can not only improve the gloss of the dish, but also make it more delicious. However, it should be noted that the stir-fry time should not be too long, so as not to affect the overall taste and nutritional value. Finally, after a few quick stir-fries, it can be put out of the pot and put on a plate, and a lemon sliced meat with good color and flavor is born.
4. Nutritional value and health benefits
In addition to being delicious, lemon slices are packed with nutritional value and health benefits, allowing you to enjoy your meal while nourishing your body.
1. High-quality protein sources
Pork tenderloin, as the main ingredient of lemon meat slices, is rich in high-quality protein, which is one of the important nutrients necessary for the human body. Protein is the basic substance that makes up human tissues and plays a key role in maintaining life activities, promoting growth and development, and repairing damaged tissues. Moderate intake of pork tenderloin can help meet the body's protein needs and maintain good health.
2. A treasure trove of vitamin C
Lemon, as an important excipient for lemon slices, is rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help remove free radicals from the body, boost immunity, and prevent colds and other diseases. Vitamin C also promotes the absorption and utilization of iron, which is of great significance for the prevention of anemia. Therefore, consuming lemon slices can help replenish vitamin C and improve health.
3. Rich in dietary fiber
Green and red peppers as a side dish not only add color and texture to the lemon slices, but also provide rich dietary fiber. Dietary fiber has a positive effect on maintaining intestinal health, preventing constipation, and lowering cholesterol. Green and red peppers also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, etc., which help maintain the normal physiological functions of the body.
5. Production tips and detail control
When making lemon slices, here are some tips and details that will help you bring out the essence of this dish:
1. The knife work is exquisite, and the meat slices are even
When cutting pork tenderloin, it is important to keep the knife skillful so that the thickness of the meat slice is even. This not only ensures that the meat is heated evenly during cooking, but also allows the seasoning to penetrate better into the meat and improve the overall taste.
2. The marinating time is sufficient, and the meat slices are more flavorful
The time for marinating the meat slices should not be too short, it is recommended to marinate for at least 20 minutes. This allows the slices of meat to fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning and present a more intense flavor. Seasonings such as cooking wine and light soy sauce added during the marinating process also help to remove the fishy smell of pork and improve the quality of the dish.
3. The heat is properly controlled, and the meat is tender and not old
When stir-frying pork slices, it is important to control the heat. It is recommended to stir-fry quickly over medium heat to avoid the slices of meat becoming old or undercooked. Before cooking, you can turn up the heat appropriately to quickly collect the juice, so that the dish is more flavorful and keeps the tender taste.
4. Choose fresh and juicy lemons to enhance the quality of the dish
The quality of the lemon directly affects the taste and flavor of the lemon slices. When choosing a lemon, be sure to pick fresh and juicy fruits. The squeezed lemon juice should also be used as soon as possible to avoid oxidation and deterioration that may affect the quality of the dish.
5. The seasoning ratio is just right, and the flavor is rich
When preparing the lemon sauce, make sure that the ratio of sugar to lemon juice is just right. This neutralizes the sourness of the lemon and adds variety to the taste of the whole dish. The addition of seasonings such as light soy sauce and dark soy sauce also helps to enhance the umami and color of the dish.
6. Frequently Asked Questions and Cooking Tips
During the process of cooking lemon slices, there may be some problems or confusions. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions and practical cooking tips:
1. What should I do if the meat slices are too old?
If the slices of meat feel too old, it may be caused by stir-frying for too long or too much heat. To combat this, you can try to reduce the time spent stir-frying and keep the heat medium or low during the stir-fry process to ensure that the slices of meat are heated evenly and not over-aged. Cutting the meat slightly thicker and marinating it with tenderizer powder can also help preserve the tenderness of the meat.
2. What should I do if the lemon flavor is not strong enough?
If you don't feel that the lemon flavor of the lemon slices is strong enough, there are a few ways to try. First, make sure you're using fresh lemon juice instead of bottled lemon juice, as the aroma and flavor of fresh lemon is much stronger. Secondly, you can increase the amount of lemon peel you use, as lemon peel is rich in lemon oil and is the main source of lemon flavor. Finally, you can also increase the amount of lemon juice during the stir-frying process to enhance the flavor of the lemon.
3. Cooking Tips:
To prevent the slices from sticking, you can add some cooking oil to the marinating slices to make them smoother during the sautéing process.
When squeezing lemon juice, you can heat the lemon lightly first, or microwave it a little so that the lemon juice is easier to squeeze out.
During cooking, try to use a wooden or plastic spatula and avoid using a spatula, as the spatula may react chemically with lemon juice and affect the taste and color of the dish.
7. Change and innovation
While we've detailed the traditional recipe for lemon slices, the joy of cooking lies in variation and innovation. You can make some innovations and changes to this dish according to your tastes and needs.
For example, you can try adding some other spices such as minced garlic, minced ginger, chili, etc., to add texture and flavor to the dish. You can also try substituting some ingredients, such as chicken or beef instead of pork, to see what makes a difference.
You can also make some innovations in plating, such as arranging lemon slices with other vegetables and fruits to make a beautiful shape, which can not only increase the ornamentality of the dish, but also increase the appetite.
Lemon slices are a very delicious and nutritious dish that can be easily made with basic cooking skills. Hopefully, through the introduction of this article, you will have a better understanding and mastery of how to make this dish, and I hope you will find fun and innovation in the process of cooking.