Moo Shu Pork Recipe

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

This moo shu pork recipe comes from chef Brandon Jew of San Francisco's Mr. Jiu's. Moo shu pork, which was created in northern China and is especially popular in Chinese American restaurants, traditionally includes sliced pork, egg, shiitake mushrooms, jicama, and Chinese celery. They are stir-fried together in just minutes. The peanut butter–hoisin sauce is the star of this meal. It takes only five minutes to prepare and can be made five days in advance. Serve this recipe with Mandarin Pancakes.

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Ingredients

Peanut Butter-Hoisin Sauce

1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts (about 5 ounces)
1/3 cup fermented black beans (about 2 ounces), soaked in water 5 minutes and drained
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dry hot mustard
2 medium garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Moo Shu Pork

1 pound pork tenderloin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup dried wood ear mushrooms (about 2 ounces)
1 cup warm water
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 1/2 cups matchstick-cut jicama
1 cup diagonally sliced Chinese celery
16 store-bought moo shu or Mandarin Pancakes, warmed

Directions

Make the peanut butter–hoisin sauce

Process all peanut butter–hoisin sauce ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Make the moo shu pork

Using a cleaver, cut pork tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place pork slices in a single layer on a work surface. Using the flat side of cleaver, pound pork portions to 1/8-inch thickness, rotating slices 90 degrees after every pound of cleaver. Cut pounded pork slices crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks; set aside.
Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium; add eggs, and swirl to coat bottom of skillet. Cover and cook until eggs are set, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 1 minute. Remove eggs from skillet. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks, and set aside.
Place wood ear mushrooms in a bowl. Add 1 cup warm water to cover mushrooms. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain and rinse mushrooms; set aside. While mushrooms soak, stir together broth, wine, soy sauce, black vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a separate bowl until combined; set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over high; add shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Working in 2 batches, add sliced pork; cook, stirring occasionally, until pork turns white and is barely cooked through, about 1 minute. Return shiitake mushrooms to skillet; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Stir in jicama, soaked wood ear mushrooms, and egg matchsticks. Pour in broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add cornstarch mixture; stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in celery. Serve immediately with warm moo shu pancakes and peanut butter–hoisin sauce.