Muxi Rou Chinese Mushu Pork Recipes

MUXI ROU (CHINESE MUSHU PORK)

Steps:

• Soak wood ears in boiling water for 20-60 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water, and slice julienne.
• Freeze the pork loin for 20-30 minutes to firm up a little bit, then slice very thin, then stack the slices and julienne.
• Combine 1/4 t salt, 1/2 t sugar, 2 t soy sauce, 6 turns white pepper mill, 1 t wine, 1 t cornstarch, and 1 T water for the marinade. Add to the pork and stir to coat.
• Marinate meat for about 20 minutes, then stir in 1 T oil.
• Beat the eggs lightly with 1 T oil and 1/4 t salt.
• Heat a wok over high heat until smoke rises. Add 1 T oil and swirl it around. Add the wood ears and stir for 30 seconds. Season with 1/4 t salt, 1/4 T sugar, and 1 T soy sauce. Transfer to warm dish and set aside.
• Reheat the wok until smoking. Add 2 T oil and swirl it around. Pour in the egg and scramble lightly. Set aside on warm plate.
• Scrape wok clean, washing if necessary.
• Reheat wok until smoke rises. Add 3 T oil and swirl around. Add the garlic and stir a moment until fragrant. Add the white part of the scallions, toss and allow to sizzle for a few moments. Add the pork and stir-fry for about a minute until color changes. Add 1 t wine around the side of the wok, continuing to stir-fry. Add wood ears and eggs to the wok, stirring for another minute until pork and egg are thoroughly cooked and all ingredients are hot.
• Serving option 1: After removing wok from heat, toss in green onion parts and fresh cilantro, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve with rice.
• Serving option 2: After removing wok from heat, drizzle with sesame oil. Serve meat on one platter, mandarin pancakes on another, and green onions and cilantro in a third dish. At the table people may pick up a pancake, and use their chopsticks to stuff the pancake with meat and top with green onions and cilantro.
• Serves 2 as the main dish, or up to 10 as part of a full Chinese meal.

MU SHU PORK

Steps:

• Combine soy sauce, sherry and hoisin sauce in a bowl. Add the pork, toss to coat evenly, cover, refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and thinly slice. Set aside on a plate, along with the cabbage, carrot and scallions.
• Heat a wok or large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the eggs, swirling and tilting the wok to form a thin film. Cook just until the eggs are set and feel dry on top, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, let cool slightly and cut into 1 inch strips.
• Return the wok to high heat, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry to release the aromas, about 1 minute. Add the pork and stirfry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, and scallions, along with the chicken stock, and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and sugar, and cook, stirring until sauce boils, about 1 minute. Add egg strips and mix well. To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on a warm Mandarin Pancake. Spoon about 1/2 cup mu shu mixture in center of pancake, wrap like a burrito, folding the ends to close, and serve.
• Place flour in a medium bowl, making a well in the center. Pour in the boiling water, and use a wooden spoon or chopsticks to mix until a soft dough is formed. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a log, 16 inches long. Cut the log crosswise into 1 inch pieces, shape each piece into a ball, then use your hands to flatten each ball into a pancake. Brush the tops of the pancakes lightly with the sesame oil. Then, place one pancake on top of a second pancake, oiled sides together, so that there are 8 pairs. With a rolling pin, flatten each pair into a 6 inch circle. (A tortilla press also works well for this.) Cover the pancakes with a damp towel to rest.
• Heat an ungreased, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the pancakes, one at a time, turning them once as they puff and little bubbles appear on the surface, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. As each pancake is finished, remove from pan and gently separate the halves into 2 pancakes while still hot. Stack cooked pancakes on a plate while cooking the remaining pancakes.
• Serve pancakes while still warm with Mu Shu Pork. Or, pancakes may be prepared up to 1 day in advance, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated. Pancakes may also be frozen. Reheat them by steaming for 5 minutes, or warming them in a 350 degree F oven, wrapped in foil, for 10 minutes.
• Yield: 16 pancakes

FOUR HAPPINESS PORK

Steps:

• Put pork in boiling water.
• Boil 1 minute; Drain. Rinse in cold water.
• Cut pork in 2-inch cubes.
• Put pork and 1 cup water in an earthenware or any other heavy pot.
• Bring water to boil.
• Add sherry, soy sauce, ginger, and scallions.
• Cover pot tightly; Simmer over very low heat 2 hours.
• Add sugar.
• Bring to high heat.
• Baste until gravy coats the meat.
• May be prepared in advance. May be frozen.
• Reheat before serving.