The Ultimate Guide to Meat Sauce

Rou Jiang (肉酱)

A hearty meat sauce is the key ingredient to numerous noodle dishes and an incredible addition to dipping sauces as it provides not only substance but salty, umami, and spicy flavors.

The name Meat Sauce (肉酱) may seem a little vague, but a literal translation of the two most common types, Za Jiang (杂酱) and Saozi (臊子), seems even stranger. These two Meat Sauces both translate roughly into Miscellaneous Sauce, Mixed Sauce, or Minced Sauce. The implication is that these Sauces are made from minced meat with a delicious combination of flavors. And, while Za Jiang and Saozi are technically different sauces, the terms are used interchangeably in Chinese. The Saozi recipe featured here is a Ground Pork Sauce with simple flavors, whereas the Za Jiang recipe is a Mixed Sauce with bold flavors. Traditionally, the ‘Meat’ used for these sauces is Pork from either the belly or hindquarter due to their ideal fat ratio.

Fragrant-Spicy Beef Sauce is often used to top rice unlike Pork-based Meat Sauces which are primarily used for Noodles. Fragrant-Spicy Beef Sauce can also be used to top Noodles and can even be used to top Soup Noodles with a Pork-based Meat Sauce. The crispy bits of spicy Beef are quite versatile and taste great in Dipping Sauces – this condiment being readily available at many hotpot restaurants. Whatever its use, Beef Sauce will definitely be a crowd pleaser.

Minced Pork Sauce

Saozi (臊子)

Minced Pork Sauce is essentially the same as Mixed Sauce (杂酱); however, I have separated them into two recipes to highlight the simplest form of Minced Pork Sauce in the following recipe. Though I say simple, that does NOT mean boring. The stir-fried minced Pork is soft and tender, combined with flavorful Aromatics and delicious Sauces. So, this Minced Pork Sauce is as delicious as it is easy to make.

The most important choice in the following recipe is the type of ‘Bean Paste’ to use. Sweet Bean Sauce, also known as Sweet Noodle Sauce, is the base version, which adds a slightly sweet and very umami flavor to the Meat Sauce. I’ve had this version of Minced Pork Sauce all over China including atop Minced Pork Noodles (臊子面) in Yibin, Sichuan and atop Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles (酸辣粉) in Guiyang, Guizhou. The flavor though simple and unobtrusive is nonetheless delicious and pleasing. Minced Pork Sauce made with Sichuan Chili Bean Paste, contrarily, is a bit more robust with a fragrant-spicy flavor (香辣味).

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams of Pork Belly

Aromatics
1 3-inch block of Ginger
1 2-inch white stalk of Small Scallion (小葱; Optional)

1/2 cup Peanut Oil

1 Tbsp. of Bean Paste (Sweet Bean Sauce 甜面酱 OR Sichuan Chili Bean Paste)

Sauces
2 tsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce

Seasonings
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
1/4 tsp. MSG
1/4 tsp. White Sugar

Directions

1.) Wash off the Pork Belly, pat it dry with paper towels, and place it on a cutting board. Slice the meat thinly and then use a cleaver in each hand to quickly the mince the Pork into small granules. Set the minced Pork aside in a bowl.

2.) Prepare the Aromatics, placing them into the same bowl:

• Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic.
• Peel, smash, and mince the Ginger.
• Mince the Small Scallion.

3.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium heat and add 1/2 cup of Peanut Oil. Once the Oil is hot, add the Aromatics and stir-fry them just a few seconds until fragrant.

4.) Add the minced Pork to the wok and stir-fry it immediately to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the wok and becoming crispy. Continue to stir-fry the Pork, lowering the heat if necessary, until all the granules are white and separate easily.

5.) Add the Bean Paste to the wok and mix it into the Pork before splashing the Sauces (Shaoxing Rice Wine and Soy Sauce) around the inner sides of the wok. Stir-fry the ground Pork vigorously to incorporate all the flavors.

6.) Pour in 2 cups of Water, mix thoroughly, and then add the Seasonings (Salt, White Pepper, MSG, and Sugar).

7.) Bring the Minced Pork Sauce to a low boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has greatly reduced.

(There should still be quite a bit of liquid in the Minced Pork Sauce after this time. This sauce will not only help to preserve the Minced Pork Sauce longer, but also add delicious flavor to Noodle Dishes).

8.) Once the Sauce has reduced to your preferred level, it can be used immediately or cooled and jarred for later use. Some chefs will even pasteurize the jars using standard canning practices (i.e., heating the jars in a pot full of water to kill bacteria) so that their Minced Pork Sauce can be sold to others or given as gifts.

Mixed Sauce

Za Jiang (杂酱)

Mixed Sauce is the ultra-flavorful cousin of Minced Pork Sauce. While the names Mixed Sauce (杂酱) and Minced Pork Sauce (臊子) are often used interchangeably, I define Mixed Sauce in this way for clarity. Most of the Soup Noodle Dishes that require Minced Pork Sauce can be made with Mixed Sauce. So naturally, Minced Pork Noodles (臊子面) and Sour Spicy Glass Noodles (酸辣粉) will sometimes have Minced Pork Sauce and sometimes have Meat Sauce. Mixed Sauce Noodles (杂酱面), contrarily, are always topped with Mixed Sauce and never with Minced Pork Sauce.

One of the signatures of Mixed Sauce is its use of various ‘Bean Pastes’ like Sweet Bean Paste, Chili Bean Paste, and Soybean Paste – Sweet Bean Paste (甜面酱, also known as Sweet Noodle Sauce) being the most important. Sweet Bean Paste has a hint of sweetness and a massive amount of umami. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (郫县豆瓣酱) is salty, sour, and spicy. Soybean Paste (黄豆酱) is salty and umami. Sweet Bean Paste, nevertheless, is so important that either Chili Bean Paste or Soybean Paste could be dropped from the following recipe without losing authenticity. Their contribution, however, is what elevates this Mixed Sauce to restaurant quality.

Two other additions greatly enhance the quality and flavor: ‘Aromatic’ Lard and Advanced Stock (高汤). ‘Aromatic’ Lard is made by frying Ginger and Sichuan Peppercorns in melted Pork Lard. The aromatics, along with a splash of Chinese White Liquor (白酒), perfume and purify the Lard, removing any unpleasant flavors. Lard isn’t necessary but highly recommended. Advanced Stock, likewise, raises the quality. The Stock adds richness along with a touch of improved texture and viscosity. Many home cooks will simply use water and chicken bouillon powder instead, resulting in a thin, unbalanced Sauce. Advanced Stock, on the other hand, maintains richness without adding an overpowering amount of saltiness and umami.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 20 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

Aromatic Lard
1/4 cup Lard
2-inch block of Ginger (Sliced or Smashed)
1 Tbsp. Chinese White Liquor (白酒)
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Pepper

500 grams of Pork Belly

1/4 cup Peanut Oil

Aromatics
3 Bay Leaves
2-inch block of Ginger
2 Garlic Cloves

Sauces
1 Tbsp. Chinese White Liquor
1 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (豆瓣酱)
1 Tbsp. Sweet Bean Paste (甜面酱)
1/2 Tbsp. Soybean Paste (黄豆酱)

1 cup of Advanced Stock (高汤)
1 cup of Water

Directions

1.) Add the Lard to a seasoned wok along with the Ginger, White Liquor, and Green Sichuan Pepper. Heat on high until the Lard is completely melted, the Ginger and Sichuan Pepper are sizzling, and the alcohol has completely evaporated. Use a wire strainer to remove all of the Ginger and Sichuan Peppercorns. Turn off the heat while preparing the meat.

2.) Wash off the Pork Belly, slice the meat thinly, and then use a cleaver in each hand to quickly the mince the Pork into large granules. Set the minced Pork aside in a bowl.

3.) Heat the Lard in the wok on medium heat and add the Aromatics (Bay Leaves, Ginger, and Garlic). When the Aromatics are sizzling, add the minced Pork.

4.) Cook the minced Pork stirring constantly until about 90% cooked. Use a ladle to quickly remove and discard excess oil until only about 1/2 cup of oil remains. Then, add all of the Sauces (White Liquor, Chili Bean Paste, Sweet Bean Paste, and Soybean Paste) and mix these quickly and thoroughly.

5.) Pour in the Advanced Stock and Water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced significantly, the sauce clings thickly to the meat, and the sauce is dark and glossy.

(The thickness of the Meat Sauce is often up to the preference of the chef. Ideally there should be quite a bit of liquid sauce left after cooking the meat, but not an ocean).

6.) Remove the pieces of Ginger and Bay Leaves and pour the Meat Sauce into a large heatproof bowl. The Meat Sauce is now ready to use as a topping for noodles or as an addition to Dipping Sauces. The Meat Sauce can also be cooled and stored in the fridge for around 3 days or frozen for much longer.

Yibin Pork Sauce

Yibin Saozi (宜宾臊子)

Yibin Pork Sauce is a simple, delicious version of Minced Pork Sauce (臊子) with tangy, umami elements added from Pickled Mustard Greens (芽菜), a signature product of Yibin City, Sichuan. There are two ways of making a Yibin-style Pork Sauce: crispy or ultra-tender. The crispy version, known as Yibin Crispy Pork Sauce (宜宾脆臊), is perhaps the most common and is the recipe presented below. The tender version is made by simply cooking the Pork in the same manner as my recipe for Minced Pork Sauce – using low heat, constant motion, and a shorter cooking time.

Yibin Pork Sauce is obviously the key to Yibin’s signature dish: Yibin Kindling Noodles (宜宾燃面). However, there are dozens of other uses for this rather versatile sauce. Yibin Pork Sauce is also a great topping for Rice, Tofu, and Eggs. Medium Tofu, Silken Tofu, and Douhua are all great options as well as both Fried Eggs and Steamed Eggs. Dan Dan Noodles (担担面) can also be made quickly and easily using this sauce.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 10 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams of Pork Belly

2 Tbsp. Yibin Yacai

Aromatics
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Sauces and Seasonings
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1/2 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

Directions

1.) Prepare the Pork Belly, mincing it into tiny bits:

• Wash off the Pork Belly, pat it dry with paper towels, and remove the skin if present.
• Using two cleavers, mince the Pork Belly into tiny bits about the size of a pea.
• Set the minced Pork Belly aside in a bowl.

2.) Mince the Yibin Yacai if not already chopped and set the greens aside in their own bowl.

3.) Peel, smash, and mince the Ginger setting it aside in a bowl for Aromatics.

4.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium heat. Once hot, add the minced Pork and stir-fry it for a few minutes until the Pork is fully cooked and frying in its own oil.

(If you would like the minced Pork Belly to be crispy, allow the Pork to rest a moment in the wok without stirring it. Then, fold the Pork over into itself, breaking it up into little bits. Cook the Pork until all moisture has evaporated from it and the little bits are getting crispy. For ultra-tender bits of Pork: use store-bought Ground Pork instead of minced Pork Belly, cook with medium-low heat, stir-fry the meat immediately upon adding it to the wok, and cook Pork about 90% before adding the Aromatics and Sauces).

5.) Add the Aromatics along with the Sauces and Seasonings (Soy Sauce, Rice Wine, Sichuan Pepper, and Sugar), splashing the sauces around the inner sides of the wok and mixing vigorously until everything is combined.

6.) Remove the wok from heat for about 30 seconds and add the Yibin Yacai, stirring them into the flavorful minced Pork until most of the water from the greens has evaporated.

(The goal of removing the wok from heat is to lower the temperature just enough so that, when the Yacai is added, it won’t cause hot oil to pop from the moisture in the greens).

7.) Return the wok to heat and stir-fry everything vigorously for a few more seconds to fully combine everything and concentrate the flavor. Pour the Yibin Pork Sauce into a heat-proof container for use in delicious dishes like Yibin Kindling Noodles (宜宾燃面).

Fragrant-Spicy Beef Sauce

Xiang La Niurou Jiang (香辣牛肉酱)

Fragrant-Spicy Beef Sauce is readily available in China in jars of Lao Gan Ma called Fermented Black Bean Oil Chili Flakes with Refined Minced Beef (豆豉油辣椒精制牛肉末) – what a mouthful. This is essentially just a spicy sauce combining Black Beans, Oil Chili Flakes (also known as Chili Crisps), and bits of Beef. Clearly, this is one of the most delicious products made by Lao Gan Ma, a company from Guizhou Province south of Sichuan famous for their Oil Chili Flake Products (油辣子). Their Minced Beef Sauce, unfortunately, is almost completely unobtainable outside of China and particularly in the US, due to a ban on importing meat from China. Not to worry though, because the following recipe can more than replicate that delicious crispy Beef Sauce. However, this is not an exact copycat recipe in that it’s been adapted for home cooks. The company Lao Gan Ma uses fresh Chicken Claw Red Chilies (鸡爪辣椒), minces them into a paste, and fries the paste on low heat until all moisture has evaporated to create their Chili Flakes. While this process is excellent for mass production, it’s time consuming and impractical for the average home cook. The following recipe replicates the same flavor with a much shorter cooking time by starting with Dried Red Chilies.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 10 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams of Beef Hindquarter

Marinade
2 Tbsp. Ground Red Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Chinese White Liquor (白酒)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Sichuan Pepper

Dried Chilies
1/2 cup of Er Jing Tiao Chilies (二荆条; Amount when cut into 1.5-inch pieces)
1/2 cup of Facing Heaven Chilies (朝天椒; Amount when cut into 1.5-inch pieces)

250 grams of Fermented Black Beans (豆豉)

1 Liter of Peanut Oil

Aromatics
6 cloves of Garlic (Peeled)
2 4-inch white stalks of Scallion
1 4-inch block of Ginger (Smashed)

Seasonings
1/2 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. MSG

Sauces
1 tsp. Chinese White Liquor (白酒)

Directions

1.) Prepare the Beef, cutting it into tiny bits:

• Cut the Beef 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Cut the slices into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
• Cut the strips into 1/2-inch-thick cubes.
• Place the cubes in a large bowl.

2.) Add all of the Marinade ingredients (Chili Powder, White Liquor, Salt, and Sichuan Pepper) to the Beef cubes and mix them thoroughly with either chopsticks or preferably with gloved hands.

3.) Roughly chop the Fermented Black Beans and set them aside in a bowl.

4.) Fill a seasoned wok with 1 Liter of Peanut Oil and heat it on medium until hot.

5.) Snip all of the Dried Chilies (Er Jing Tiao and Facing Heaving Chilies) into 1.5-inch-long pieces and place them in a wire strainer. Holding the wire strainer in one hand and a ladle in the other hand, ladle 3 – 4 spoonfuls of hot Oil over the Chilies, allowing the hot chili-flavored oil to drip back into the wok. Pour the now slightly crispy Chilies into a bowl.

(Do not burn the Chilies! The goal is to only lightly fry them and add just a touch of their spicy flavor to the Oil).

6.) Add the Black Beans to the wire strainer and lower the strainer’s basket into the hot oil frying the Beans for about 20 seconds. Remove them from the Oil and pour them into their own separate bowl.

7.) Add all of the Aromatics (Garlic, Scallion, and Ginger) directly to the hot oil and fry them until crispy and golden. Afterwards, remove them from the Oil and discard them.

8.) Add the cubes of Beef to the hot oil and fry them for about 6 – 10 minutes, stirring them occasionally.

(Do not allow the Beef to burn. Use a medium-low heat if necessary and be patient. Allow all the moisture and fat to render out of the Beef during this cooking process. The Oil will become soupy and cloudy at first, but once all water evaporates, the Beef will begin to fry in this Oil. You want the Beef to reach this stage before adding any other ingredients to it. You can, however, add an extra piece of smashed Ginger at the beginning of the frying process to make the Beef more aromatic – just remember to remove at the end of this stage).

9.) While the Beef is frying, pour the cooled fried Chilies into a food processor and pulse them into Chili Flakes. Pour the Chili Flakes back into their bowl.

10.) When all the water from the Beef has evaporated and the Beef is frying in the Oil, add the Black Beans back to the wok and mix them with the ever-crispy Beef bits. Continue frying the Beef with Black Beans until the Beef is becoming ultra-crispy.

11.) Add the Seasonings (White Sugar and MSG) and mix them thoroughly into the Beef Sauce before pouring and mixing the Chili Flakes into the Sauce.

12.) Splash in the White Liquor, mix everything thoroughly, and continue to fry the Beef Sauce for another minute until everything is fragrant, crispy, and fried to perfection.

13.) Spoon the delicious Beef Sauce into a heat-proof jar and once cooled, store it in the fridge for 24-hours. After which time, the Fragrant-Spicy Beef Sauce is ready to eat.

 

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