Moo Shu Pork

Marinade

1½ teaspoons soy sauce

1½ teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pound boneless pork loin or pork chop, sliced into thin, bite-size strips

Sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, or substitute regular soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

2 scallions, chopped

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

5-6 large napa cabbage leaves, cut into thin strips

1 medium carrot, julienne

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

12 moo shu wrappers, defrosted according to package instructions, or thin flour tortillas

Hoisin sauce for serving

Marinate the pork: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the pork and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the rice wine, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork and stir-fry until the outside is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until just aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables start to wilt.

Pour the sauce into the wok in a circular motion so that it drizzles down the sides of the wok and picks up the flavorings along the way. Return the pork to the wok and cook for another minute, stirring so that everything is well mixed. Transfer the pork and vegetables to a serving plate and serve with moo shu wrappers and a dish of extra hoisin sauce on the side.

To eat, place a wrapper on your plate and spread 1 or 2

spoonfuls of pork and vegetables in the middle of the pancake. Spoon a dollop of hoisin sauce over the filling. Fold the bottom of the pancake up slightly, then fold in the 2 sides until you have 3 enclosed sides (like folding a burrito).

Serves four.

“Chinese Takeout Cookbook” by Diana Kuan (Ballantine Books, 2013)