Beijing Stir-Fried Liver

Beijing Stir-Fried Liver

　　Beijing Stir-Fried Liver is a distinctive snack from Beijing. It features a glossy, dark soy sauce-colored broth, tender liver and rich sausage, with a strong yet not greasy flavor, and a thin but not watery consistency. Beijing Stir-Fried Liver has a long history, evolving from the Song Dynasty street foods "Stewed Liver" and "Stir-Fried Lung." During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Huixianju began making and selling it without thickening the sauce, leading to a popular local saying: “Stir-fried liver without thickening — heart and lung simmered.” When eating stir-fried liver, it’s best enjoyed by sipping it along the rim of the bowl with small steamed buns. In the Qing Dynasty, stir-fried liver was sold both in shops and by street vendors. In December 1997, the version made by Tianxingju in Beijing was awarded the title of First National Famous Chinese Snack by the China Cuisine Association.

　　In the Qing Dynasty, stir-fried liver was sold both in shops and by street vendors. Shop-based sellers were led by Huixianju outside Qianmen. The version made by Tianxingju in Beijing was awarded the title of First National Famous Chinese Snack by the China Cuisine Association in December 1997. Stir-fried liver was originally created by the Liu brothers of Huixianju. The three Liu brothers initially sold plain boiled offal, but business wasn’t great over time. They discussed how to improve the dish. At that time, Yang Manqing, the publisher of the Beijing New Newspaper, often visited Beijing snack shops and was familiar with the Liu brothers. Learning of their idea, he suggested: “Remove the heart and lungs from the plain boiled offal, add dark soy sauce, and thicken the sauce. But don’t call it stewed pork intestines — call it stir-fried liver. That might attract customers. And if anyone asks why it’s called stir-fried liver, just say the liver is stir-fried.”

　　The brothers thought it was a great idea and followed his advice. They soaked and kneaded fresh, fatty pig intestines in alkali and salt, then rinsed them clean with water and vinegar, and stewed them over low heat. Once the intestines were tender, they cut them into small pieces, while the fresh pig liver was sliced into willow leaf-like strips. Next, they prepared the seasonings, which were also very particular. First, they heated oil, deep-fried star anise until fragrant, added raw garlic, and when the garlic turned yellow, stirred in yellow bean paste to make the garlic-bean paste seasoning. In addition, they prepared premium dried mushroom soup for later use. With the seasonings ready, they began making the stir-fried liver. First, they put the cooked intestinal pieces into boiling broth, then added the garlic-bean paste, chopped scallions, minced ginger, and dried mushroom soup. Next, they added slices of raw pig liver, quickly thickened the sauce, and finally sprinkled minced garlic on top. The result was a dish with crystal-clear broth, tender and smooth pork intestines, delicate and fragrant liver, light yet not greasy, rich and delicious — truly one of the finest snacks in Beijing.