Guanxian Crispy Fried Meat 冠县酥肉

Guanxian Crispy Fried Meat (冠县酥肉) is strips of meat bound in a flour-and-egg batter and fried in oil, a local speciality of Guanxian (冠县) county in Liaocheng (聊城), Shandong. Qilu Net (齐鲁网) singles out the county's crispy mutton as a local speciality in a class of its own, and Dazhong Daily (大众日报) calls Guanxian Crispy Fried Meat a local famous dish.

How it is made

At the Zhenxiuyuan (珍馐园) halal deli in the county town, owner Yang Hongchao (杨鸿朝) carries on the traditional Yang-family method for crispy mutton; the shop, which has traded for more than 20 years, is described as a municipal-level heritage brand. He starts with goats raised free-range on farms, trims off bone fragments and scraps, and cuts the meat into small thin strips. Flour, egg and his own ground Sichuan pepper are mixed in, and the paste is thrown down hard more than a hundred times, then rested for 20 minutes. The strips are fried slowly over a medium flame and lifted out when they feel lighter in the ladle; to eat them dry, they go back into hotter oil for a second frying, which leaves them crisp outside and tender within.

A village cook in Yanzhuang subdistrict (烟庄街道) told Dazhong Daily that heat control and the ratio of meat, egg and flour are what matter, and that the meat must be hind leg, because loin does not give the right flavour.

How it is eaten

Freshly fried pieces can be eaten on their own or simmered into a soup, first over a high flame for colour and then slowly over a low one. For the stewed version the fried meat goes into a bowl with a little vinegar, coriander and a drizzle of sesame oil, and is served with its broth. Dazhong Daily adds that a meal of fried crispy meat is not complete without Chinese cabbage. Local sellers also pack Guanxian Crispy Fried Meat in sealed cans, ready to eat.

The hand-drawn visitor map that Guanxian county prepared in 2024 recommends it among the county's foods, next to Majia buns (马家包) and Zhenxiuyuan halal meats.