Fried Liver

Fried Liver

　　　A specialty snack from Beijing. It features shiny, dark sauce broth, aromatic liver and rich sausage, with a bold yet not greasy flavor, and a smooth but not watery texture. Beijing Fried Liver has a long history, evolving from the Song Dynasty street foods “Stewed Liver” and “Stir-fried Lung.” By the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Huixianju popularized its preparation without thickening the sauce. At that time, a local saying went, “Fried Liver without thickening—cooking heart and lungs.” When eating Fried Liver, it's best enjoyed by sipping it along the rim of the bowl with small steamed buns. In the Qing Dynasty, Fried Liver was sold both in shops and by street vendors.

　　　　The Fried Liver made by Tianxingju in Beijing was awarded the title of “First National Chinese Famous Snack” by the China Cuisine Association in December 1997. Ingredients: ginger, pork liver, pork intestines, star anise, garlic, yellow bean paste, soy sauce, cooked lard, vinegar, alum, starch, pork bone broth, and refined salt. Preparation method: Clean the intestines, coil them into several bundles, tie them with string, then cut them at one end. Boil them in a pot of cold water over high heat until a chopstick can pierce through easily. Remove the intestines, rinse them in cold water to remove surface fat, and cut them into small pieces. Wash the pork liver and cut it into diamond-shaped slices. Heat cooked lard in a pan over high heat, add star anise, then in sequence add yellow bean paste, minced ginger, soy sauce, and mashed garlic, stir-frying until it becomes a thick paste. Heat the pork bone broth, add the pork intestines, and when it comes to a boil, skim off the floating fat. Add the pork liver, soy sauce, cooked mashed garlic, raw mashed garlic, and refined salt, stirring well. Once the broth boils again, immediately thicken it with starch, bring it to a boil once more, sprinkle with MSG, stir well, and it’s ready.