Mu Shu Pork with Wood Ear Mushrooms

Here's the traditional use for the intriguing wood ear mushroom. The tough center portion is the "stem." Cut it out and discard it.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound thin-cut boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 cups shredded napa cabbage or green cabbage
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup Wood Ear mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 4 to 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• Bottled plum sauce

Preparing

Pound the pork slices between sheets of waxed paper with a meat mallet to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the pork into 1/4-inch-wide bite-size strips. Combine the pork and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a shallow bowl and mix well. Stir together the orange juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Whisk the eggs into the wok and scramble for 1 to 2 minutes until cooked. Remove to a cutting board and quickly chop finely.

Add 1 more tablespoon of the oil to the wok. Stir-fry the pork for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from the wok. Add another tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the cabbage and green onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until cabbage is wilted.

Stir the orange juice mixture. Push the cabbage mixture to one side of the wok. Pour the sauce into the center of the wok and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles, stirring constantly. Add the pork, chopped eggs and wood ear mushrooms and stir to coat with the sauce. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes more or until mixture is heated through.

For each serving, place one flour tortilla on a serving plate. Spoon one-fourth (for 4 servings) of the pork mixture into the center of a flour tortilla. Drizzle some plum sauce over the filling. Roll to enclose the filling. Place seam side down on the plates. Spoon more plum sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Additional Resources

This recipe is compliments of "The Purple Kiwi Cookbook" by Karen Caplan.

Learn about Cabbage.

Other recipes from Produce Pete.