Honsi-jou or Mu-Ji Pork
- 1/2 lb. boneless pork
- 1 T. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 1 t. sugar
- 4 T. peanut oil or flavorless vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 t. salt (I think this could be left out, as the soy sauce adds quite a bit of salt as is)
- 4 scallions, chopped (or green onions - though is there really a difference between scallions and green onions? I thought they were one and the same)
- 1 t. sesame oil
- 1 t. cornstarch
- Mandarin pancakes, warmed (recipe below)
Slice meat horizontally into paper-thin slices. (This works best when the pork is half frozen.) Then cut each slice into shreds about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/8 inch wide. Combine wine (I used the sherry, since I had it on hand), soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar; add the pork.
In a large wok or heavy skillet, heat 2 T. oil. Add pork mixture; stir-fry 5 minutes until browned. (You can also add sliced mushrooms if you want - which I did, specifically shitake) Push meat up sides of wok, add beaten eggs, salt and scallions. Stir eggs constantly until firm, then mi with remaining ingredients in wok. Stir in sesame oil. Serve rolled in warm mandarin pancakes (though you can cheat and use flour tortillas instead).
Traditionally, each guest spreads a pancake flat on his plate and places about 2 T. of the pork mixture along the center. The pancake is folded in half and tucked under. One end is folded over about 1 inch to enclose the filling and then the whole rolled into a neat cylinder that can be picked up with the fingers and eaten.
Po-Ping Mandarin Pancakes
Okay, this is the fun part. I was so enamored of this process where you press two circles together, cook them and then watch as they pull apart easily, presumably so that one side is firmer than the other or maybe just so they don't burn.
- 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. boiling water
- 1 to 2 T. sesame seed oil
Sift flour into a mixing bowl, make a well in the center (has anyone noticed how this ¨making a well¨ step seems to have gone out of favor in more recent recipes? as well as the actual sifting of the flour - I lightly spooned the flour into measuring cups and leveled with a knife instead, as most recipes nowadays seem to call for). With a wooden spoon, gradually mix flour and water together until a soft dough is formed; on a lightly floured surface, knead it gently for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. With a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a glass, cut out as many circles of dough as you can. Knead scraps together, roll out again and cut more circles. (My aunt keeps the circles under the towel to keep them from drying out.) Arrange circles side by side, brush half of them lightly with sesame seed oil, and sandwich-wise, place the unoiled ones on top of an oiled one. (Oil is the filling.) With a rolling pin, flatten each pair into a 6-inch circle, rotating the sandwich an inch or so in a clockwise direction as you roll so that the circle keeps its shape, and turning it once to roll both sides. Cover the pancakes with a dry towel.
Set a heavy 8 inch skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to moderate and cook the pancakes, one at a time, in the ungreased pan, turning them over as they puff and little bubbles appear on the surface. Regulate the heat so that the pancakes become specked with brown after cooking them about 1 minute on each side. As each pancake is finished, gently separate the halves and stack them on a plate. Serve them at once or wrap in foil and refrigerate for later use. May be wrapped in foil and frozen.
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