Mu Shu Pork is a Beijing dish and is typically served rolled in Mandarin pancakes but I chose to serve it as a side dish. Dishes like this pull me back to our time spent in Asia.
For a western newcomer, the Asian culinary experience delights and at the same time shocks the senses. I recall my first time in a wet market in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (1999). A wet market was, by far, the biggest eye opener for me and my memories of them are still vivid to this day.
With an open mind in tow I eagerly walked the lanes of the market. Vendors shouting out in Cantonese their specials and beckoning me to buy from them as I slowly passed by. Some would cut open an orange, or other pieces of fruit for me to try, and all enticing me to buy by showing how fresh their produce was. Not able to speak Cantonese, I communicated with a smile and a wave to say no if I wasn’t interested. All met with a smile in return but eager for me to shop in their stall and not the competition. The thing is, if you’re their first customer of the day, the price is very negotiable and this applies to just about any form of retail business in Hong Kong. The Chinese view this as a sign of good luck for the rest of the day. The earlier the first sell, the better the day becomes…in theory.
A wet market is an open air market where you’ll find fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat. In the meat section of the market you’ll see sides of pork hung and men cutting chunks of meat with a clever, chickens hung upside down, innards of the animal displayed in the open and so on. It was in this section that I nearly gagged as it was a hot and humid day and chunks of meat were being baked by the sun and smelling simply awful. How can I buy from here and not end up with food poison? It took me 6 months of passing by the meat section when I finally bought pork ribs…they looked good and it was when the temperature was cooler. I still think of that day when I unwrapped the ribs, which by the way were a steal, and wondered if I was going to make us all sick. I washed the meat off, seasoned it, and roasted it. Tender and flavorful. The fear of what I perceived as unhealthy meat quickly subsided and we enjoyed how good it tasted.
Sadly, though, these wet markets in Hong Kong are slowly disappearing to the redevelopment of old districts.
Serves 4
250g pork loin, cut into thin strips (about 2-inches long)
light soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
5 dried Chinese mushrooms – reconstituted, then thinly slice
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1/4 small Chinese cabbage, shredded
1/2 teaspoon sugar
In a bowl add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch. Stir to combine then add the strips of pork. Toss to lightly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat a wok over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Heat until hot. Stir-fry the pork 2 to 3 minutes until meat is cooked. Remove meat with a slotted spoon or wire seive and place in a bowl. Rinse out and dry the wok. Reheat the wok over high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, and heat until hot.
Stir-fry the egg to scramble, then move to the side of the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, heat until hot, and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and mushrooms. Add the leek and toss. Add cabbage and cook until just tender. In a small dish, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the remaining rice wine, cornstarch, sugar. Add pork to wok, bring scrambled eggs in from the side and pour sauce over. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
To get a better understanding, click here to see a short video on Causeway Bay Wet Market.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: If you want to serve this rolled with Mandarin pancakes, spread a bit of hoisin sauce over the pancakes first and then add mu shu pork. Enjoy!
- Serves 4
- 250g pork loin, cut into thin strips (about 2-inches long)
- light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 5 dried Chinese mushrooms – reconstituted, then thinly slice
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
- 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
- ¼ small Chinese cabbage, shredded
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- In a bowl add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch. Stir to combine then add the strips of pork. Toss to lightly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat a wok over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Heat until hot. Stir-fry the pork 2 to 3 minutes until meat is cooked. Remove meat with a slotted spoon or wire seive and place in a bowl. Rinse out and dry the wok. Reheat the wok over high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, and heat until hot.
- Stir-fry the egg to scramble, then move to the side of the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, heat until hot, and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and mushrooms. Add the leek and toss. Add cabbage and cook until just tender. In a small dish, combine 1½ tablespoons of soy sauce, the remaining rice wine, cornstarch, sugar. Add pork to wok, bring scrambled eggs in from the side and pour sauce over. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
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