Recipes for featured meat dishes

1 Clear Soup with Frog

[Ingredients]

Frog meat: 100 grams
Chicken broth: 750 grams
Shaoxing wine: 15 grams
Salt: 5 grams
Frog oil: 100 grams
MSG: 2 grams
Monkey head mushrooms: 50 grams
Sesame oil: 2 grams

[Cooking Method]

Rinse the frog oil thoroughly and soak in warm water for about 4 hours. Remove from water, clean off any black lines and impurities, then it is ready to use.
Cut the frog meat into small slices, slice the monkey head mushrooms, and steam the frog oil until cooked.
Heat a wok over high heat, add 750 grams of chicken broth and the sliced monkey head mushrooms. Bring to a boil, add Shaoxing wine, then add the frog meat. Season with MSG, skim off any foam, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

[Cooking Key Points]

When soaking the frog oil, avoid using boiling water or soaking for too long to prevent it from becoming mushy. Properly soaked frog oil should have a cotton-like texture, a white color with a glossy surface, and should be fluffy and soft.
Frog oil itself lacks freshness and has a slight fishy smell, so it should not be used alone but combined with other ingredients to enhance the overall flavor.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Frogs belong to the amphibian family and are found in regions like Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Jilin in China, resembling frogs but also known as “Chinese forest frogs.” Legend has it that these frogs feed on ginseng shoots, though they primarily consume insects. They hibernate in winter, lay eggs in spring, and produce oil in autumn, known as frog oil. Frogs from areas like Wenhua County, Jilin Province, are considered superior due to their larger size and higher oil content. Frog oil appears like orange segments and is a valuable nutritional storehouse found in the oviducts of Chinese forest frogs.
Frog oil is rich in protein and contains small amounts of fat, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and other nutrients, making it a high-quality nutritional supplement. It is believed to have certain therapeutic effects for hypertension, renal insufficiency, tuberculosis, and individuals with weak constitutions.
This dish features a clear and fresh soup, with a smooth and tender texture, vibrant color, and refreshing taste, making it an excellent nourishing dish for high-class banquets.

2 Stewed Venison with Lily Bulbs and Spicy Sauce

[Ingredients]

Venison: 750 grams
Longquan wine: 2 grams
Lily bulbs: 150 grams
Soy sauce: 10 grams
Chicken broth: 1050 grams
Spring onion: 1 stalk
Cornstarch (dissolved in water): 10 grams
Ginger: 1 piece
Dried chili peppers: 5 grams
Garlic: 25 grams
Salt: 8 grams
Lard: 100 grams
MSG: 2 grams
Caramel color: 5 grams

[Cooking Method]

Soak the venison to remove blood, then cut into 3 cm cubes. Clean the dried chili peppers. Wash the lily bulbs. Lightly crush the spring onion and ginger. Slightly crush the garlic cloves.
Blanch the venison briefly in boiling water until the surface turns white. Remove and drain well.
Heat lard in a wok until it reaches 90% heat. Fry the venison until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Keep a small amount of oil in the wok. Heat to 60% heat and add the spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Fry until fragrant. Add the dried chili peppers and stir-fry until they turn a deep yellow color. Add chicken broth, Longquan wine, and skim off any foam when it boils. Stir in soy sauce, caramel color, and the fried venison. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for one and a half hours. Add salt and MSG when the venison is nearly tender. Add the lily bulbs and continue cooking until tender. Remove the spring onion, ginger, and chili peppers.
Increase heat to reduce and thicken the sauce to desired consistency with dissolved cornstarch. Drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

[Cooking Key Points]

Ensure the chicken broth covers the ingredients by approximately 3 cm.
Stir and thicken the sauce gradually during cooking.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Lily bulbs have a sweet, slightly bitter, and cool nature. They contain various alkaloids, starch, protein, and fat. They are known for their lung-moistening, cough-relieving, and calming effects, suitable for conditions of yin deficiency with chronic coughs, bloody phlegm, restlessness, and palpitations.
This dish features a sweet, spicy, fresh, and salty flavor profile, with a rich aroma and vibrant red color, and a glossy sauce thickened with cornstarch and sesame oil.

3 Xiangyun Roasted Venison

[Ingredients]

Venison (backstrap): 750 grams
Sichuan peppercorn water: 25 grams
Salt: 1.5 grams
MSG: 2.5 grams
Cooking wine: 2.5 grams
Sugar: 5 grams

[Cooking Method]

Cut fresh venison into slices about 1 cm thick, 10 cm long, and 5 cm wide. Mix with all the seasonings thoroughly and marinate for about 2-3 hours.
Prepare an iron stove, iron fork, and iron wire rack. Place the wire rack on the iron stove and light charcoal until it burns smokelessly. Place the marinated meat slices on the wire rack and roast until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from heat, slice diagonally into long strips, arrange on a plate, and serve.

[Cooking Key Points]

Use venison from the chest or thigh.
Roast quickly over high heat, turning with an iron fork to prevent dripping fat from causing flare-ups.
Poke holes in each slice of meat to facilitate even cooking.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Xiangyun Roasted Venison recreates the scene from Cao Xueqin’s depiction of Xiangyun and Jia Baoyu roasting venison, bringing this dish into modern times as a delicacy.
Xiangyun Roasted Venison is particularly nourishing for the elderly, weak, and ill due to its rich content of protein, minerals, fats, and vitamins, especially from female deer.
This dish is savory, slightly sweet, fragrant, and golden in color, with a tender and flavorful texture that is uniquely enjoyable.

4 White Meat Blood Sausage

[Ingredients]

Pork belly: 1000 grams
Sichuan peppercorns: 8 grams
Pork intestines: 1000 grams
Cinnamon: 8 grams
Pig’s clean blood: 1000 grams
Cassia bark: 8 grams
Salt: 75 grams
Purple Perilla: 8 grams
Vinegar: 100 grams
Cloves: 8 grams
MSG: 10 grams
Shredded pickled cabbage: 250 grams
Meat seasoning mix: 25 grams

[Cooking Method]

Preparation of White Meat:

Skewer the pork belly on an iron fork and grill over medium heat until fat is rendered and the skin is crisped. Remove any hair.
Soak the grilled meat in water for 10 minutes, then scrub thoroughly with a brush 3-4 times to remove impurities. Hang to dry and wipe off any remaining dirt.
Place the pork skin side down in boiling water, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour until 60-70% cooked. Remove bones and continue cooking until fully done.
Slice the cooked meat into pieces 1.3-1.6 cm long and 0.5 cm thick.

Preparation of Blood Sausage:

Rinse the pork intestines with a mixture of 50 grams of salt and 100 grams of vinegar until foam appears, then rinse with water to remove foam and impurities. Refrigerate for later use.
Collect fresh pig’s blood from butchering, strain it twice to separate clean blood from impurities.
Mix clean and impure blood separately with water (125 grams each), 10 grams of salt, 1 gram of MSG, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, cassia bark, and purple perilla powder (20 grams).
Remove pork intestines from the refrigerator, rinse thoroughly with water, tie one end securely, fill the other end with blood mixture, tie the end, and divide into two sections.
Boil in water for about 10 minutes until blood sausages float. Transfer to a basin of cold water, then slice into pieces 1.3-1.6 cm thick.

Cooking:

Boil the sliced white meat, blood sausage, and shredded pickled cabbage together for 3-4 minutes.

Dipping Sauce:

Prepare a dipping sauce using soy sauce, minced garlic, chili oil, fermented bean curd, shrimp oil, sesame oil, and chopped cilantro.

[Cooking Key Points]

Choose fresh, tender pork with appropriate fat content and intact bone and skin.
Acidulate grilled meat in water, using hot water in winter and warm water in summer.
Slice meat while hot, cutting from all sides, then reheat slightly and cut another piece.
For the best flavor, mix and stir pig’s fresh blood when filling the intestines.
When making fermented bean curd sauce, add fresh chives, apples, pears, cucumbers, and other ingredients for a fragrant taste; make chili powder with chili first and then use a clean cloth to wipe off the dust, and cut it into small circles, fry with flour, and have a paste scent.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Pork is sweet, salty, and neutral in taste. It contains 16.1-16.7% protein, along with fat, ash, sugars, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B1, B2, C, and niacin, which nourish yin and moisturize dryness, suitable for conditions such as heat injuries with thirst, weight loss, dry cough, and constipation. Pig’s blood has the effect of nourishing blood and benefiting the center, suitable for conditions like dizziness after stroke, abdominal distension, cervical erosion, and anemia. Pork intestines have the effect of supplementing deficiency and strengthening the spleen and stomach, suitable for conditions such as deficiency fatigue, diarrhea, loose stools, diabetes, frequent urination, and infantile malnutrition.
This dish has a red and white color, a fragrant and appetizing taste, diverse flavors, rich but not greasy, lean but not tough, tender and juicy, suitable for both cold and hot consumption. It is delicious, affordable, and has a unique flavor, making it one of the traditional Northeastern Chinese dishes.

5 Biyu Meat Balls

[Ingredients]

Lean and fatty pork: 150 grams
Salt: 10 grams
Lard: 50 grams
Ground Sichuan peppercorns: 1 gram
Egg yolk: 1
Sweet bean sauce: 50 grams
Cornstarch: 20 grams
Soybean oil: 40 grams
MSG: 2 grams

[Cooking Method]

Chop the lean and fatty pork into minced meat. Mix with egg yolk, MSG, salt, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and cornstarch to form 14 evenly sized meatballs.
Chop the lard into fine pieces and form into 14 small balls.
Flatten each meatball and wrap a piece of lard inside, shaping them into round balls.
Heat oil in a wok until it reaches 50% heat. Deep fry the meatballs until they turn a reddish color. Remove and place on a serving dish.
In the same wok, heat a small amount of oil and stir-fry the sweet bean sauce until fragrant.

[Cooking Key Points]

Avoid adding ginger or scallions inside the meatballs. After cooking, garnish with a bit of ginger or scallion juice if desired.
Fry the meatballs until 80% cooked, remove from oil, then re-fry at 70% heat to achieve a crispy texture without greasiness.
The ideal ratio of lean to fatty pork is 3:7 for optimal flavor—too much lean meat lacks richness, while too much fat can be overwhelming.

[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish is savory with a hint of saltiness, boasting a fiery red color and a crispy yet tender texture. It’s rich in flavor and uniquely appealing.

6 Beef Iron Pot

[Ingredients]

Lean beef: 2000 grams
Sesame paste: 50 grams
Water vermicelli: 250 grams
Chinese chives blossoms: 25 grams
Pickled vegetables: 400 grams
Scallions: 10 grams
Dried shrimp: 10 grams
Salt: 1.5 grams
MSG: 2.5 grams
Cilantro: 1 gram
Chili oil: 2.5 grams
Minced garlic: 50 grams
Pickled garlic: 100 grams
Fresh broth: 750 grams
Fermented bean curd: 2 pieces
Ground Sichuan peppercorns: 1 gram
Shrimp oil: 2.5 grams
Ginger: 2.5 grams
Sesame oil: 10 grams

[Cooking Method]

Slice the lean beef thinly. Cut the pickled vegetables into thin strips. Rinse the water vermicelli and soak the dried shrimp. Mix the sesame paste with cold water until smooth.
Prepare a mud stove. Place hot charcoal inside. Clean an iron flat pan and place it on the mud stove. Heat the pan and add a few slices of lard to coat the pan with oil. Then, add the beef slices and grill them directly on the pan. Serve and eat while grilling, dipping in various sauces according to personal preference.
After finishing the beef, pour fresh broth into the pan along with salt, dried shrimp, scallions, ginger, MSG, pickled vegetables. Bring to a boil and add the water vermicelli to cook.

[Cooking Key Points]

Choose beef cuts like tenderloin, sirloin, tri-tip, tail root, etc. Slice the beef thinly and evenly.
Grill and eat immediately for the best flavor.
The essential sour vegetable soup enhances the authentic taste.

[Flavor Characteristics]

“Beef Iron Pot” is a traditional dish from Jilin City, Northeast China. It has a long history, unique flavor, and is highly popular among various ethnic groups in the region. Originating from the Qing Dynasty, it is said that some Hui people in Jilin City saw Mongolian people grilling beef outdoors and found it tender and delicious. However, they adapted it by slicing beef thinly and grilling it on broken iron pans over stones with firewood. They season it with salt after grilling, resulting in exceptionally tasty beef, hence the name “Beef Iron Pot.” Since then, it has become a popular method for picnics among Hui people. Over the years, local restaurants in Jilin City have refined the cooking method, making it a renowned traditional dish.
This dish is savory, slightly salty, and spicy, with tender and fragrant beef slices. Served with sour vegetable and vermicelli, it represents the authentic flavors of Northern China.

7 Yellow Lamb

[Ingredients]

Yellow lamb meat: 500 grams
Sichuan peppercorn water: 10 grams
Cucumber: 100 grams
Cooking wine: 51 grams
Salt: 11 grams
Soy sauce: 5 grams
MSG: 3 grams
Vinegar: 5 grams
Sugar: 25 grams
Chicken broth: 300 grams
Scallions: 15 grams
Rendered lard: 1000 grams
Ginger: 15 grams
Baking soda: 25 grams

[Cooking Method]

Slice the yellow lamb meat into 2 cm thick large pieces. Make shallow cross cuts 1/3 deep, then slice into strips 4.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Place in a dish, wash several times with clean water, then marinate with baking soda (25 grams), cooking wine (50 grams), and salt (10 grams). Stew briefly to remove any gamey odor.
Heat rendered lard in a wok until 70% hot, then fry the yellow lamb meat until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil.
Keep some oil in the wok, heat it up, stir-fry shredded scallions and ginger. Add chicken broth, Sichuan peppercorn water, cooking wine, sugar, salt, MSG, and vinegar. Add the fried yellow lamb meat strips and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens. Drizzle with sesame oil before serving, pouring onto one side of the plate. Clean the cucumber and cut into 4 cm long, 1 cm wide strips, arranging them on the other side of the plate.

[Cooking Key Points]

Yellow lamb meat may have a gamey odor, so it needs to be soaked in water before cooking.
Be careful not to over-color the meat during frying.
Reduce the sauce over low heat until only 1/4 remains, then increase the heat to thicken.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Yellow lamb, also known as wild lamb, is found in grasslands and mountainous areas. It is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, sugar, and vitamins A and B, which can help warm the body and boost appetite.
This dish has a golden color, rich and savory taste with a balanced sweetness and saltiness, suitable for both meat lovers and vegetarians.

8 Stir-fried Chicken Blood and Meat

[Ingredients]

Lean meat: 100 grams
Sesame oil: 5 grams
Chicken blood: 100 grams
Vinegar: 5 grams
Vegetable oil: 40 grams
MSG: 2 grams
Scallion: 10 grams
Cooking wine: 15 grams
Ginger: 10 grams
Salt: 3 grams
Cilantro: 20 grams
Ground pepper: 2 grams

[Cooking Method]

Slice the lean meat into thin strips. Soak the chicken blood in boiling water until cooked through, then slice into thin strips. Wash and cut the cilantro into segments and set aside. Slice the scallion and ginger into thin strips.
Heat 40 grams of vegetable oil in a wok until hot, then stir-fry the meat strips until they change color. Add the sliced scallion, ginger, MSG, cooking wine, salt, and ground pepper into the wok. Next, add the chicken blood strips and stir-fry. Pour in a ladle of chicken broth, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then add vinegar and sesame oil. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

[Cooking Key Points]

To prevent the lean meat from becoming sticky during stir-frying, it’s best to use tenderloin or sirloin.
Use fresh chicken blood, soaked in 90°C boiling water until solidified, then remove with medium heat.
This dish requires quick preparation and fast stir-frying to retain its flavors and textures.

[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish features a fresh, sour, and spicy taste with vibrant colors of red and green. The meat and chicken blood are tender and juicy, making it a flavorful dish.

9 Li’s Pot Meat

[Ingredients]

Pork belly: 750 grams
Fermented tofu (fu ru): 2.5 pieces
Lean pork: 250 grams
Star anise: 10 grams
Bean paste: 100 grams
Sugar: 20 grams
Cooking wine: 10 grams
Salt: 10 grams
Scallions: 150 grams
Garlic: 100 grams
Ginger: 25 grams
Oil: 50 grams

[Cooking Method]

Cut the pork belly and lean pork into 4 cm cubes. Cut the scallions into segments, slice the ginger thickly, and crush the fermented tofu with chopsticks.
Heat oil in a pot, add the pork cubes, and stir-fry over high heat. Add sugar and continue stir-frying until the meat turns golden and glossy. Add bean paste, ginger slices, scallion segments, garlic cloves, salt, star anise, fermented tofu, cooking wine, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until the meat is 60% cooked.
Transfer everything to a pot, simmer over low heat for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and flavorful.

[Cooking Key Points]

Stir-fry the meat cubes quickly to seal in juices. If unsure, caramelize the sugar first before adding.
This dish relies on precise cooking times. High heat helps infuse flavors quickly, followed by low heat to simmer, allowing fats to render without making the meat greasy and preserving its texture.

[Flavor Characteristics]

In 1918, Li Xuexin from Tianjin opened a small restaurant in Yinzhou Town, under the picturesque Longshou Mountain in Tieling, introducing “pot meat”. Originally stewed in iron pots to eliminate metallic taste, inspired by clay pot stewing, it gained fame in northern China.
This dish emphasizes ingredient selection, precise knife work, and cooking timing, resulting in fatty yet non-greasy, tender yet not dry meat with a rich and concentrated flavor. It embodies traditional regional culinary excellence.

10 Pine Nut Pork

[Ingredients]

Pork belly: 500 grams
Tender peas: 250 grams
Lean pork: 150 grams
Sichuan peppercorn powder: 5 grams
Cooking wine: 150 grams
Soy sauce: 25 grams
Pine nuts: 50 grams
Ginger-scallion juice: 10 grams
Egg yolk: 3 grams
Salt: 3 grams
Rock sugar: 50 grams

[Cooking Method]

Trim the pork belly and scorch the skin until charred. Scrape off the charred parts and soak the pork in cold water until softened.
Cut the pork into square pieces with crisscross cuts about 2 cm apart.
Mix one egg yolk with a little starch to form a paste. Spread it over the surface of the pork. Chop the lean pork into minced meat, mix with ginger-scallion juice and a pinch of salt. Add another egg yolk and starch to form a thin paste, spread it over the fatty side of the pork.
Heat a wok, add a small amount of lard, and fry the pork pieces (skin side up) until golden brown. Set aside.
Place the pork pieces in a clay pot, with bamboo slices placed on the bottom (underneath the pork pieces, skin side down). Add cooking wine, clear broth, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and ginger-scallion juice. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until tender. Strain the broth, invert the pork pieces onto a serving dish (skin side up), and thicken the broth by heating it until it becomes thicker. Pour it over the pork pieces.

[Cooking Key Points]

When scorching the pork skin, use medium heat and repeat twice, scraping off the burnt parts each time to reveal new skin.
The ingredients spread over the pork should be slightly smaller than the surrounding areas.
Keep the wok clean when frying the pork. Use low heat and shake the wok continuously to prevent sticking.
The amount of broth used should be just enough to cover the pork during stewing. The tender peas should be stir-fried until half-cooked.

[Flavor Characteristics]

Pine nuts, the seeds of the pine family plant Pinaceae, have a sweet and slightly warm taste. They contain protein, fats, carbohydrates, ash, and volatile oils, and are known for their ability to nourish the body, calm the mind, moisten the lungs, and promote bowel movement. They are suitable for treating conditions like wind-cold, dizziness, dry cough, hemoptysis, and constipation.
This dish is savory with a strong aroma, featuring tender and flavorful pork pieces with a thick and glossy sauce. The contrasting colors of red and green make it a distinctive dish from the Heilongjiang region.