Guoyourou is one of Shanxi’s traditional famous dishes. It still enjoys a high reputation across the country and is known as “the best flavor in the three Jins.” However, among Shanxi Guoyourou, Jincheng Guoyourou is the best. But it is unique in its preparation method and flavor.

The main ingredient of Jincheng oily pork is lean pork, preferably tenderloin or ingot meat. Cut the top strips of pork into willow leaves and mix well with egg liquid and wet starch. Heat the frying pan and add cooking oil. When the oil is 80% hot, put the evenly battered meat slices into the pan. Use a meat fork to stir the meat while frying. Pay attention to the heat. The meat slices will form lumps when the oil is hot and the oil is cold. It will peel off again. After frying, use a spoon to hold the rim of the ladle, pour the ladle to drain out the oil, then add chopped green onion, garlic slices, minced ginger, fungus, day lily, garlic moss segments, cook in a little sour vinegar, turn the ladle, and then add soy sauce, salt, and MSG. Add Shaoxing wine, water to thicken the soup, and serve in a soup plate.

The method of preparing oily meat began with Beiziou meat. The original technique of this famous dish is recorded in "Qi Min Yao Shu", which is to slice the pork and place it in a cauldron with meat, fat and salt. After simmering it over a slow fire, it is then marinated in an oil vat and taken out when eating. , boil and then cook, mix with leeks and eat. In the Tang Dynasty, the cooking methods of Austrian meat were divided into two techniques: pot cooking and oil cooking. "History of Chinese Customs" records: "In the Tang Dynasty, food was thinly melted and cooked in boiling oil, which was called a delicious food." Since then, meat cooked in oil has become a palace dish in the past dynasties. In the Ming Dynasty, it was the most delicious dish in imperial cuisine. "Jin Food Zongheng Series Famous Food Stories" records: "In the Ming Dynasty, oily pork was listed as the first delicacy in the palace by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. Whenever there is a grand celebration or banquet, oily meat must be served as the first dish. And it is regarded as the most precious first dish." During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang named his third son Zhu _ as the king of Jin. The famous dish of fried pork returned to Shanxi and became one of Shanxi's representative dishes. During the Qing Dynasty, both Nurhaci and Empress Dowager Cixi liked to eat this dish. According to "The Grand View of Chinese Imperial Food in Past Dynasties", Nurhaci called oily meat "golden meat". After he became emperor, "the kitchen of the Qing Palace in Shengjing also cooked golden meat." After the Empress Dowager Cixi came to power, fried pork "has become a palace dish commonly eaten by the Qing court."

Fried pork has been one of Jincheng's representative dishes since the Ming Dynasty. Restaurants use oily pork as their signature dish to attract diners from all over the world, and even use this dish at banquets to show local flavor. Shanxi oily pork slices are larger, Jincheng oily pork slices are smaller; Shanxi oily pork is eaten dry, Jincheng oily pork is soup; Shanxi oily pork generally does not use garlic moss, beans and other auxiliary ingredients, Jincheng oily meat does not need garlic moss or other ingredients Beans don't work. When outsiders order fried pork in Jincheng, they must make it clear whether they want Shanxi fried pork or Jincheng fried pork, otherwise it is easy to get confused.

Thickening is very important when making Jincheng oily pork. Not only oily meat, but also thickening is important in other dishes. Whether the thickening is appropriate has a great impact on the quality of the dishes. Therefore, thickening is one of the basic skills of cooking. Thickening is mostly used in cooking techniques such as stir-frying, smoothing, and stir-frying. The most common feature of these cooking methods is: rapid cooking. Dishes cooked in this way basically do not contain soup. However, due to the addition of certain sauces and seasonings during cooking, the ingredients themselves produce water, making the dishes appear to have more soup. By thickening the juice, the consistency of the juice is increased and attached to the surface of the raw materials, thereby achieving a glossy, smooth, tender and delicious flavor of the dish. To thicken the marinade well, you must first master the thickening time. Generally, it should be done when the dishes are almost cooked. Thickening the marinade too early will cause the marinade to burn. Thickening the marinade too late will cause the dishes to be heated for a long time and lose their crisp and tender taste. The thickened dishes should not use too much oil and the soup should be appropriate, otherwise the purpose of adding freshness and beautifying the dishes will not be achieved. When using simple powdered sauce to thicken the sauce, the taste and color of the dishes must be adjusted first, and then mixed starch is poured in to thicken the sauce, so as to ensure that the dishes are delicious and colorful. There are many soups in Jincheng cuisine, and the chefs have accumulated rich thickening experience through long-term practice. The reason why Jincheng Guoyourou is different from Shanxi Guoyourou is that clever thickening is one of its important links.