Fuqi Feipian

FUQI FEIPIAN

Everyone who loves Sichuan food should try this dish now. Fuqi feipian (fq fèipiàn) is as authentically Sichuan as possible. In a dish of beef and tripe, chile oil and Sichuan peppercorns combine to create a dish that will keep you returning for more and more of it!

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE FUQI FEIPIAN?

It is customary in Sichuan cuisine to offer the appetizer fuqi feipian at room temperature. Tender slices of beef and tripe are slathered in a spicy numbing sauce made up of chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, sesame, and vinegar, with a touch of sugar to balance off the heat. Chinese celery, cilantro, and peanuts bring out the best in this dish.

It’s also got a fascinating backstory. Because of its cheap components, the meal was already popular among Chengdu street vendors in the 1930s. Until then, it was simply known as “husband and wife lung slices” or “fuqi feipian” (literally, “husband and wife lung slices”).

It was given its current name by a Chengdu married couple who were well-known for their unique take on the meal. As a result, the term “fuqi feipian” was coined.

Despite the fact that the dish’s name contains the word “lung,” I have yet to come across a recipe that calls for it. To make the dish sound a little more pleasant, the character for “fei” was initially used in the name as “waste bits” or “offal,” but it was later altered to the character for “lung.”

No, no, no, no, no. I’m genuinely trying to sell this to you.

MY PERSONAL EDITION

Okay, so if you’re not a fan of tripe, you can skip this post and move on to the next one. Fuqi feipian, on the other hand, has been on our list of things to do for YEARS.

This is the first thing our family orders when we go to a Sichuan restaurant. It’s an absolute must. Do you know what else is an absolute necessity? (Dan Dan Noodles: Noodles in Danger.)

This dish’s flavor and texture combination are unbeatable. The honeycomb texture of the sauce clings well to the tripe, which is sharp and not at all chewy.

The tongue and heart, when thinly sliced, provide a rich, meaty flavor that’s to die for. Nonetheless, we used beef shank in our recipe to make things easier for the home cook.

Justin, my former friend turned co-conspirator, has taken a shine to it as well. Although Justin wasn’t raised on tripe or much of a genuine Chinese diet, we’re inclined to believe he was once Chinese. His favorite dishes include bitter melon, grass jelly, and fuqi feipian.

What do you think? You may enjoy this dish as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS

TO BRAISE THE MEAT:

• 2 lb. of beef shank(900g)
• 1 1/2 lb. of honeycomb beef tripe
• 5 slices of ginger
• 3 pcs. of scallions
• 2 tsp. of Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp. of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. of coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. of black or white peppercorns (or a mix of both, 3g)
• 3 pcs. of cloves
• 3 pcs. of bay leaves
• 1 pc. of cinnamon stick
• 1/2 dried tangerine peel
• 2 pcs. of star anise
• 1 black cardamom pod (optional)
• 2 white cardamom pods (optional
• 1/3 cup of Shaoxing wine
• 1/3 cup of light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. of dark soy sauce (optional)
• 70 g of rock sugar

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup of braising liquid
• 1/4 cup of chili oil (can add more or less to taste)
• 2 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
• 1 tsp. of Sichuan peppercorn powder
• 1 tbsp. of toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tsp. of Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tbsp. of light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp. of sugar
• 1/4 tsp. of salt (or to taste)

TO SERVE:

• 1/3 cup of Chinese celery(finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. Of cilantro (chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toss in the beef shank and tripe, along with the ginger, into a big pot and fill with new water—Cook for 1 minute at a high temperature when it has come to a boil. Put the beef shin, tripe, and ginger in cool water and carefully drain and rinse.
2. Add the meat, tripe, and ginger back into the saucepan after rinsing it. A saucepan of fresh water should be brought to a boil, then add the scallions as well as the rest of the aromatic spices (the Sichuan peppercorns through the rock sugar). You don’t want the braising liquid to taste salty or saline. However, if you prefer your meat to be darker colored, dark soy sauce is a choice.
3. Then, add the water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on, using a low heat setting.
4. To prepare it for slicing, remove the braising liquid from the meat, turn off the heat and let it cool fully (about 4 hours). If you try to cut the meat while it’s still hot, you’ll end up with a mushy mess.
5. While you’re waiting, prepare the dressing or sauce. Add the braising liquid, chili oil, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn powder, sesame seeds, Chinese black vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, and salt to the braising liquid and mix thoroughly.
6. On an angle, slice the beef and tripe thinly and mix with the Chinese celery so that you may get bigger pieces of meat and tripe. Add the cilantro and peanuts on top.