Moo Shu Pork

Medium·35 min active + 5 min resting

Stir-fried strips of pork with scrambled egg, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage and scallions in a light soy-and-hoisin sauce, served with thin steamed pancakes to wrap at the table. The name's 'moo shu' refers to the yellow scrambled egg, said to resemble osmanthus blossoms.

Egg

Moo shu pork is a northern Chinese dish from Shandong and Beijing cooking that became hugely popular in American Chinese restaurants from the 1960s on. Stateside it was standardized around thin pancakes and a hoisin smear, much like how Peking duck is served.

Each bite mixes tender pork, silky egg and the gentle crunch of wood ear against soft cabbage, all lightly savory from soy. Wrapped in a warm, chewy pancake with a streak of sweet hoisin and fresh scallion, it eats like a small, savory hand-held parcel.

Cooking the egg first and setting it aside keeps it soft and golden instead of overcooked in the stir-fry. Wood ear contributes texture rather than flavor, soaking up the light sauce, while quick high-heat cooking keeps the pork tender and the vegetables crisp-tender.

Variations

Chicken, beef or shrimp can replace the pork, and a vegetarian version uses just egg and mushrooms. Some recipes add bamboo shoots or dried lily buds; if pancakes aren't available, it's served over rice or in lettuce cups.

On the Palate

Where Moo Shu Pork sits in the American-Chinese flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

3/4 lb (12 oz)Pork Loin

Cut into thin matchstick strips.

3Egg

Scrambled; the 'moo shu' of the name.

1/4 cup dried (½ oz)Wood Ear Mushroom

Dried; soaked and sliced. Adds texture.

3 cups (9 oz)Napa Cabbage

Shredded; green cabbage also works.

12Mandarin Pancake

Thin steamed wheat pancakes for wrapping.

3 tbspHoisin Sauce

Some for the sauce, extra for spreading.

2 tbspSoy Sauce

Light soy for seasoning.

4 stalksScallions

Cut into 2-inch lengths.

1 tbspGinger

Fresh, minced.

1 tbspRice Wine

Shaoxing wine, for the sauce.

How it's made

6 steps · 35 min active + 5 min waiting

1
20 min
Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 20 minutes, then drain and slice into strips.
Watch out
Rinse off any grit after soaking.
2
3 min
Beat the eggs and scramble them in a hot oiled wok until just set, then remove and set aside.
Watch out
Take them out while still soft — they'll cook again later.
3
4 min
Stir-fry the pork strips over high heat until they lose their pink, then add ginger and the wood ear.
Watch out
Keep the heat high so the pork sears rather than stews.
4
3 min
Add the cabbage and scallions and stir-fry until the cabbage just wilts but keeps some crunch, about 2 minutes.
Watch out
Don't overcook — the cabbage should stay crisp-tender.
5
2 min
Return the egg, add soy sauce, hoisin and a splash of rice wine, and toss to combine and heat through, about 1 minute.
Watch out
Toss gently so the egg stays in soft pieces.
6
3 min
Warm the pancakes by steaming briefly, then serve alongside the stir-fry with extra hoisin for diners to wrap their own.
Watch out
Keep pancakes covered so they stay soft and pliable.