The Niúróu jiā mó (牛肉夹馍) is the beef-based version of the famous Chinese sandwich Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍), made with pork common in Muslim areas, where pork consumption is prohibited.
The Rou Jia Mo, often called the “Chinese burger”, is a specialty originating from the Shaanxi province, particularly the city of Xi’an.
Its traditional version, known as La Zhi Rou Jia Mo, features a flatbread called bai ji mo (白吉馍) stuffed with pork braised in a rich, spiced sauce.
For the Niúróu jiā mó, the same bread is used with a meat preparation that can be considered a form of lǔwèi (滷味): the meat is braised slowly in a spiced broth based on soy sauce and typical lǔshuǐ spices.
🈷️ Meaning of the name:
牛肉 (Niúróu) = beef
夹 (Jiā) = insert / fill / grip between two things
馍 (Mó) = flatbread baked or grilled
➡️ Niúróu Jiā Mó = “bread filled with beef”
Note: Even though “ròu (肉)” alone means meat, it is often understood as pork in the absence of specifics. Here, it is preceded by 牛 (niú, ox/beef), so it’s explicitly beef.
I cooked the beef in the crockpot.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Other
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.1 lbs beef (muscle, cheek, chuck, shoulder, or brisket)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 star anise
- 1 fresh ginger
- 2 scallions (crushed)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 1 tsp Sichuan pepper (whole)
- 2 cloves
- 2.5 cups beef broth (or water)
- as needed vegetable oil
Tools
- 1 Pot crockpot
Steps
Mix flour, salt, yeast, and water to get a smooth dough.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Divide into 4 balls, flatten to form thick disks.
Cook in a hot non-stick pan (without oil) over medium-low heat, 5 min per side, covering with lid.
Slightly brown the meat in a pan with a little oil, just to seal the juices (optional but recommended).
Transfer the meat to the crockpot.
Add all other ingredients.
Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.
At the end of cooking, remove the meat, shred it with two forks and mix it with some of the filtered cooking juices.
Keep warm until ready to fill the sandwiches.
Assembly: Cut the bai ji mo in half and generously fill it with the braised meat.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What does lǔwèi mean?
Lǔwèi (滷味) is a Chinese term indicating a set of dishes cooked and flavored in a spiced broth called lǔshuǐ (滷水).
滷 (lǔ) = braise/stew in an aromatic liquid.
味 (wèi) = flavor, taste.
The lǔshuǐ is a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, spices (star anise, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, Sichuan pepper) and sometimes rice wine or medicinal herbs.
It is used to cook meat, tofu, eggs, offal, seaweed, etc.
It is very popular in Taiwan, Southern China, and also in Cantonese cuisine.Is the presence of Sichuan pepper traditional in the Niúróu jiā mó recipe?
The version with Sichuan pepper (花椒 huājiāo) is absolutely traditional, especially in some regional variants of Rou Jia Mo (or Niúróu Jiā Mó when made with beef) from the Shaanxi province, where the dish originates.
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Rou Jia Mo with Sichuan pepper – characteristics:
Sichuan pepper is not spicy, but it gives that typical “tingling” and slightly numbing sensation (málà 麻辣).
It is often used in combination with star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a braised spice mix (卤味 lǔwèi).Are there traditional versions with other types of meat for Rou Jia Mo and Niúróu jiā mó?
Yes, 🐑 Rou Jia Mo with lamb or Yángròu jiā mó.
Typical of the Muslim regions of northwestern China (such as Ningxia and Xinjiang).
The lamb is stewed with Chinese spices and sometimes local herbs like cumin.
It is very popular in Hui communities.Can I prepare the beef-based filling for Niúróu Jiā Mó without a crockpot?
Sure, here’s the procedure:
Brown the beef, then add all the spices and sauces.
Cover with water and braise for 2-3 hours over low heat.
When the meat is tender, drain it and shred it with two forks.What is the recipe for the pork-based filling of Rou Jia Mo?
For the pork filling (La Zhi Rou) of Rou Jia Mo:
Pork with a good balance of fat and lean (often shoulder or belly)
Light and dark soy sauce
Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing)
Brown sugar
Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fresh ginger, scallion
Broth or water
Cut the meat into large pieces and blanch to remove impurities.
In a pot, sauté the spices with ginger and scallion, add the meat, the sauces, sugar, and rice wine.
Add water or broth to cover the meat and cook slowly for several hours until the meat becomes tender and flavorful.
Shred the meat and mix it with the cooking sauce.Can I prepare bai ji mo (bread) gluten-free?
Sure, here’s the recipe
🍞 For gluten-free bai ji mo bread.
Ingredients:
200 g rice flour
100 g tapioca flour
50 g potato starch
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
200–220 ml warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Procedure:
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in part of the warm water. Let activate for 10 minutes.
Mix the flours with salt and psyllium husk.
Add the yeast mix, the rest of the water, and the oil.
Knead until you get a soft but not too sticky dough.
Cover and let rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
Divide the dough into balls, flatten into discs (1–1.5 cm) and cook in a pan or on a hot griddle for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden.
