Chao Gan (Stewed Pork Liver)
A thick, glossy, starch-bound stew of pork liver and intestine with a heavy dose of garlic, eaten for breakfast alongside steamed buns.
How to eat it
Locals do not use a spoon. Hold the bowl in one hand, turn it slowly and sip from the rim so the thick stew slides in evenly. Eat the buns on the side rather than dipping them in. The stew is served very hot and holds its heat, so give it a minute before the first sip.
The story behind the dish
Despite the name there is no stir-frying involved. "Chao" here is an old Beijing usage for slow simmering, and the dish descends from a cheaper offal soup sold near Qianmen in the late Qing dynasty. Cooks dropped the heart and lungs, kept the liver and intestine, and thickened the broth with starch so it would cling to the bowl. It has been a working-class breakfast ever since, which is why it is still sold mainly in the mornings.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.