Muxi Pork (Muxi rou)
I snatched this recipe from a magazine in Beijing about 10 years ago. Little did I know that this is one of the most popular American-Chinese dishes, called Moo Shu Pork. It’s sometimes written as muxu pork as well. Don’t ask me why.
The dish is normally eaten with pancakes and hoisin sauce ala Beijing Roast Duck but I think it’s great eaten with rice. It’s versatile too: substitute the pork with chicken breast fillet for a healthier version or tofu for the vegetarian one.
Ingredients:
25g wood ears, soaked in cold water.
25 g golden needles or lily buds, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
100g lean boneless pork, cut into slivers
1 oz spinach, cut into 3 inch (7cm) pieces
1 tsp cornstarch (corn flour)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 eggs
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Directions:
Slice the wood ears into smaller pieces and golden needles (lily buds) into halves.
Mix with the pork slivers with soy sauce and cornstarch. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and season with salt. Scramble with oil and set aside.
Heat fresh oil in a wok until very hot. Fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant then add the pork slivers. Stir-fry until meat is partially cooked. Stir in the rice wine.
Add the golden needles, wood ears, and spinach. Season with salt and stir until the spinach is cooked. Add the scrambled eggs and stir to blend. Remove from fire and sprinkle with sesame oil. Serve.
