Za Jiang: Savory Stir-Fried Minced Pork Sauce
杂酱 · northern cuisine
The author previously made this sauce with a different combination of pastes, and remade it here to use as a filling for steamed buns. It also works well tossed with noodles or spooned over steamed egg custard.
Fiona AldridgeUK mum of three, sourdough starter named Barry is four years old. I bake through my nan's recipe box and post the wins and the collapsed sponges.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:SoyWheat
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- 379(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Protein (g)
- 32.4(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Fat (g)
- 26(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Carbs (g)
- 1.6(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Sodium (mg)
- 95(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
17.64 oz
as needed
1.0 piece
garlic大蒜
5.0 clove
as needed
soybean paste (yellow soybean paste)黄豆酱
0.06 cup
0.13 cup
to taste
mSG味精
to taste
hua jiao fen花椒粉
0.07 oz
Techniques you'll use
- Pan-frying (jian) ↗
Sear food in a shallow layer of oil, one side at a time.
- Aromatic blooming (bao xiang) ↗
Bloom ginger, garlic, and chili in hot oil to build the aroma base.
- Stir-frying ↗
Cook small pieces in stages, then bring them together while their textures are distinct.
- Simmering (dun) ↗
Gentle low-heat cooking in liquid until flavors merge and meat softens.
Steps
- 1
Step 1
Use store-bought ground pork, or have your butcher grind it fresh. Mince the ginger and garlic and set aside.
✅ Done when: The ginger and garlic are finely minced and the pork is ready to cook.
Heat the wok, add vegetable oil to coat it, and add the ground pork right away without waiting for the oil to get hot.
✅ Done when: The pork hits the oil before the oil is fully hot.
Keep at medium-low heat, breaking up the pork as it cooks until the fat renders and the oil turns clear.
✅ Done when: The pork is broken into fine crumbles and the oil in the pan looks clear rather than cloudy.
Push the pork to the sides of the pan, then add the minced ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
✅ Done when: The ginger and garlic are aromatic.
- 5
Step 5
Once the ginger and garlic are fragrant, drizzle a splash of baijiu (or cooking wine) around the edge of the pan and stir-fry until the alcohol evaporates, removing any gaminess from the pork.
✅ Done when: The liquid from the wine has fully evaporated from the pan.
Add the soybean paste and sweet bean sauce at a 1:2 ratio (1 spoon of soybean paste to 2 spoons of sweet bean sauce with the same spoon). Scale both up or down with the amount of pork, keeping the 1:2 ratio. Over low heat, stir-fry the pastes until fragrant and evenly combined, so every crumble of pork is coated.
✅ Done when: Every crumble of pork is evenly coated in the sauce.
- 7
Step 7
Add sugar, MSG, and Sichuan pepper powder to season. The author prefers it on the lighter side and adds no extra salt since the pastes are already salty; adjust to your own taste.
✅ Done when: The seasonings are stirred in evenly.
Add about half a small bowl of water and simmer the sauce so the flavors meld, stirring along the bottom of the pan constantly to prevent sticking. The whole simmer takes about 3 minutes, until the water has cooked off.
✅ Done when: The liquid has simmered away, leaving a thick sauce that does not pool water.
- 9
Step 9
Transfer the finished sauce to a bowl and let it cool, then refrigerate. It keeps for about a week. Use it straight from the fridge on noodles or steamed egg custard; the author made this batch for steamed bun filling.
✅ Done when: The sauce is cooled to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.