MO-SHU PORK

 1/2 pound boneless pork loin or butt

 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
 1 teaspoon dry sherry
 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water

 1-1/2 Tablespooons oil
 2 eggs, well beaten with 1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/4 cup Golden Needles (about 30)
 2 Tablespoons mo-er mushrooms
 1/2 cup shredded bamboo shoots
 4 Tablespoons oil
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/3 cup chicken stock or water
 2 to 3 teaspoons light soy sauce
 2 teaspoons dry sherry
 1/2 teaspoon sugar
 1 teaspoon sesame oil

 chinese pancakes

 Cut the meat against the grain into slices a little thinnner than
 1/4 inch thick, then into julienne shreds about 1-1/2 inches long.
 Toss them in a mixing bowl with your fingers, separating the shreds.
 Add the marinade, mix well, and let the meat marinate for 30 minutes.
 These steps may be done in advance and the meat refrigerated.

 Cover the Golden Needles and mo-er mushrooms separately with hot
 water and soak for 30 minutes.  Rinse them well and drain.  Cut
 off and discard the knobby ends of the Golden Needles; then cut
 them in half.  Tear the mo-er mushrooms into small pieces, discarding
 the hard 'eyes' if any.  Rinse and drain the shredded bamboo shoots.
 Place all the vegetables on your working platter.  Beat the eggs
 with the salt.

 Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat until very hot;
 add 1-1/2 tablespoons oil, swirl, and heat for 30 seconds.  Pour
 in the eggs and swirl the pan quickly.  The instant the eggs puff
 up around the edges push them away from you with a spatula as you
 tilt the pan toward you, so that the liquid eggs on top slide down
 into the hot pan.
  Repeat this pushing and tilting a few times with lightning speed
  until the eggs are no longer running but have become soft and
 fluffy, then poke and shake them rapidly with the tip of the spatula
 to break them into tiny pieces.  Scrape them immediately into a
 dish.  The actions should be extremely fast, so the eggs won't have
 any time to toughen.

 Wipe the pan and add the last 2 Tablespoons oil, swirl, and heat
 until hot.  Scatter in the meat and stir, shake, and toss rapidly
 for about 1 minute until all the pinkness is gone.  Add the stock
 or water, even out the contents, cover and let the meat steam-cook
 vigorously for about 1-1/2 minutes.  Add the vegetables, then the
 soy sauce, sherry, and sugar, and stir rapidly for 30 seconds to
 mingle them.  Scatter in the scrambled eggs and stir them in fast
 tossing and turning motions for another 30 seconds.  Sprinkle the
 top with the sesame oil, give the contents a few sweeping folds,
 and pour into a hot serving dish.  Swerve with Chinese Pancakes or
 rice.

 Variations.

 Omit the scrambled eggs and you have a delicious meat and vegetable
 dish.  And instead of bamboo shoots you could use shredded peeled
 broccoli stems, Chinese celery or green cabbage.  In that case
 increase the stir frying by 1 minute or longer until the vegetables
 are soft but not completely limp.




 Chinese Pancakes

 2 cups flour
 1 cup boiling water
 3 Tablespoons oil for brushing

 Measure the flour into a large bowl and add the boiling water
 gradually as you stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon until the
 mixture resembles lumpy meal.  Press the mass into a large ball.

 Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it.
 Knead it, pushing with the heels of your hands and turning it, for
 5 minutes, until it is no longer sticky.  Dust lightly with flour
 whenever necessary.  Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for
 30 minutes.

 Flour the work surface again and knead the dough another 5 minutes
 until it is soft and smooth, dusting with flour when necessary.
 Shape the dough into a log, cut it in half lengthwise, and then
 roll each half back and forth with your palms to form a sausage
 shape about 15 inches long.  Cut each sausage into 1-inch pieces
 and stand them up on their edges on a floured surface.

 Brush 1 side of a piece of dough with oil and press this side onto
 another piece; then roll into a double pancake measuring about 6
 inches in diameter.  Repeat until you have made 15 double pancakes.
 Doubling is to cut the pan baking time and effort in half.

 Heat a heavy skillet over low heat until hot.  Place a pancake in
 the center and "bake" it for about 1-1/2 minutes, until the surface
 puffs into a bubble and the bottom is speckled with small light
 brown spots.  Flip and bake the other side about 45 seconds.  These
 pancakes should be soft and slightly chewy.  The crucial point in
 making them is the heat level; if the pan is too hot the pancakes
 will be covered with large burned spots and if it is not hot enough
 the pancake will dry out in cooking.  Be careful to bake only 1-1/2
 minutes and test for light brown spots, and you'll have a perfect
 pancake. ake.

 Remove the double pancake to a plate while you put another one into
 the skillet; then peel off the finished top one to give you 2
 individual pancakes.  Fold each one to make a half moon and place
 on a plate.  Repeat the baking, peeling and folding until all 30
 pancakes are made, lowering heat if pancakes are browning too fast.

 Steam the folded pancakes on a heatproof plate for 5 minutes before
 serving them.  You may make them hours or days in advance, and you
 can freeze them.  Wrap tightly in plastic for refrigerating or
 freezing.  Reheat by steaming 10 to 15 minutes until soft and
 resilient.


 In Chinese Mo-shu means yellow cassia blossoms.  They are symbolized
 here by the tiny pieces of scrambled eggs that are mingled into
 this shredded meat and vegetable dish.  It is northern in origin,
 traditionally served with steamed pancakes into which one rolls
 the meat, but it's just as good with rice.  It's both fluffy and
 full of crunch.  There is enough filling for 12 pancakes, and they
 make a nice meal for 4 with appetizers and dessert.

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Mu Shu Pork
 (Ready in 1 hour)

 1/2 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 1x1/8x1/8-inch strips
 1 tbsp dry sherry
 1 tsp sugar
 1 tsp soy sauce
 1/3 c water
 1 tbsp cornstarch
 1/2 tsp chicken-flavor instant bouillon
 1 tbsp margarine or butter
 3 eggs beaten
 1 c thinly sliced Chinese (Napa) cabbage
 1/2 c fresh bean sprouts
 1/2 c chopped fresh mushrooms
 2 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
 8 tsp hoisin sauce
 8 Mandarin pancakes

 In medium bowl combine pork strips, sherry, sugar, and soy sauce,
 mix well.  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to 6 hours.  In
 small bowl, combine water, cornstarch, and bouillon, blend well.
 Set aside.  Melt margarine in large skillet or wok over medium-high
 heat. Add eggs, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until firm, turning once.
 Remove eggs from skillet, cut into thin strips. Add pork mixture
 to skillet, cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink.
 Add cabbage, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, cook and stir one minute
 or until crisp - tender. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet, cook
 and stir til thickened and bubbly.  Add eggs and onions to skillet,
 stir gently to combine.  Remove from heat.

 Spread 1 tsp. hoisin sauce on each pancake. Top each with about
 1/2 cup pork mixture, roll up.  Serve immediately.

 4 Servings.

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