A stir fried dish with pork, black fungus, cucumber and eggs, moo shu pork comes from northern China. Typically served with rice, the pork in moo shu can be substituted with chicken, beef or shrimps.
The Chinese name of the dish phonetically translates to mu xi rou — rou is meat and mu xi is sweet osmanthus, a plant whose delighful edible white and yellow flowers I discovered in a restaurant in Hong Kong. There are no osmanthus flowers in this dish but the yellow chunks of egg is said to resemble clusters of osmanthus. Quite a poetic way to describe the dish.
In the United States, moo shu pork has undergone westernization. Instead of rice as an accompaniment, the stir fried meat and vegetables are served as filling for flat cakes called moo shu pancakes. Taco style, definitely. And it seems to be more acceptable for non-native rice eaters.
My moo shu pork recipe comes with no recommendation as to what should accompany it. Decide whether it’s rice or pancakes that you prefer. Moo shu pork over noodles should be equally good.
Moo shu pork
Ingredients
- 300 grams pork I used pork shoulder, thinly sliced
- 1 one-inch piece ginger peeled and grated
- light soy sauce
- rice wine
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn or potato starch
- sesame seed oil
- 1 cup dried black fungus soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 cucumber
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 stalks scallion cut into half-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup bone broth
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Place the sliced pork in a bowl. Add the grated ginger, a tablespoonful of soy sauce, a drizzle of rice wine, a tablespoonful of starch and a drizzle of sesame seed oil. Mix well. Set aside.
- Drain the black fungus and cut into one-inch slices.
- Cut the cucumber vertically into halves. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut the cucumber halves into slices about a quarter of an inch thick.
- Crush, peel and mince the garlic.
- In a small bowl, make the sauce by mixing together the oyster sauce, sugar, meat broth, a tablespoonful of starch and a tablespoonful of light soy sauce.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan. Drizzle in a little soy sauce over the beaten eggs and whisk. Pour into the hot oil. When partially set, stir around to break into rather large lumps. Scoop out and transfer to a plate.
- Pour the rest of the cooking oil into the pan. When starting to smoke, spread the marinated pork in a single layer. Do not move them for a minute or so until the undersides are browned. Flip over and brown the opposite side.
- Add the garlic and scallions to the pork. Stir fry for a minute.
- Add the sliced black fungus, cucumber and eggs to the pork. Stir fry for half a minute.
- Pour in the sauce. Continue stir frying for another minute until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve the moo shu pork at once.
Notes
If you cooked this dish (or made this drink) and you want to share your masterpiece, please use your own photos and write the cooking steps in your own words.
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