Moo Shu Pork in Mandarin Crepes
by Kroocrew
(Edibly Asian)
A northern Chinese meal for people on the move, popular in Singapore, made with pork, green onions, mushrooms and scrambled eggs rolled into small, thin pancakes.
Ingredients:
* 2 Tbsp soy sauce
* 2 Tbsp rice wine or sake
* 1 tsp dark sesame oil
* 2 tsp cornstarch
* 700 gm (~1 ½ lb) boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1 x 1/4-inch strips
* 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
* 120 ml (1/2 cup) sliced green onions (~2.5 cm or 1 in)
* 3 Tbsp minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
* 2 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
* 60 ml (1/4 cup) dried wood ear mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)
* 3 Tbsp rice wine or sake
* 3 Tbsp soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp cornstarch
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 720 ml (3 cups) thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage stalks
* 960 ml (4 cups) thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage leaves
* 2 Tbsp rice wine or sake
* 120 ml (1/2 cup) of hoisin sauce
* 1 Tbsp soy sauce
* 16 Mandarin crepes, recipe follows
Method:
Combine the 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp rice wine or sake, 1 tsp dark sesame oil and 2 tsp cornstarch in a zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard marinade.
Combine boiling water and dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain; discard mushroom stems, and thinly slice mushroom caps. Combine sliced mushroom caps, green onions, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine boiling water and wood ear mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain; cut mushrooms into thin slices. Set aside.
Combine 3 Tbsp rice wine and next 4 ingredients (3 Tbsp rice wine through black pepper) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add pork, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove pork from pan.
Add 1 1/2 tsps vegetable oil to pan. Add eggs; stir-fry 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled. Add shiitake mushroom mixture; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes. Add cabbage stalks; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the wood ear mushrooms, cabbage leaves, and 2 Tbsp rice wine; stir-fry 1 minute. Add pork and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes or until sauce is thick. Place pork mixture on a platter.
Combine hoisin sauce and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Spread about 1 1/2 tsps hoisin sauce mixture on uncooked surface of each Mandarin Pancake. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture onto the pancake and roll the assembled pancake. Serve in the hand.
Mandarin Crepes
Ingredients:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup boiling water
* 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Method:
Place flour in bowl and make a well in center. Pour in boiling water; stir with wooden spoon until dough looks like lumpy meal. Press into a ball.
Knead dough until smooth and satiny on lightly floured work surface, about 5 minutes. Cover with clean towel and let rest 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 10-inch long log. Cut into 10 equal pieces; keep covered. Cut each piece of dough in half. Roll each half into a ball; flatten slightly. Roll each piece into a 3-inch circle on lightly floured work surface. Brush top of each with a small amount of sesame oil. Stack dough circles together, oil-side in.
Roll the pair together into a 6- to 7-inch circle. Repeat for remaining pieces of dough.
How to make the crepes:
Heat non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook crepes, 1 pair at a time, turning every 30 seconds, until they are flecked with brown and feel dry, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from pan and separate into 2 pieces while still hot.
Stack on plate and keep covered while you cook remaining crepes. The crepes freeze well and can be refreshed by steaming.
via Moo Shu Pork in Mandarin Crepes.
In China, Chinese rice wine is closely associated with it’s artists, and in particular China’s poets. “Poet’s Inspiration” derives it’s name from a long list of poet’s that wrote about it’s many qualities. Among the best known of the Romantic poets was Li Po (701-762) who was said to be obsessed with wine and women, and between the two, he seemed to prefer writing about wine. While other poets write of wine as a source of good companionship or as a means of escaping pain and sadness, Li Po regarded it as a source of poetic inspiration. Lovely women and friendship are two important themes in Li Po’s poetry; some of his most touching poems are those on separation from friends. Legend has it that Li Po died when he fell drunk from a boat while trying to grasp the reflection of the moon, and he was drowned.
To watch Lo with her granddaughter is to see Lo become her Aw Paw. Lo patiently teaches Siu Siu the Chinese names of basics like soy sauce, oyster sauce and 