Mu Shu Pork

Why this recipe works:

Making Mandarin pancakes—the traditional wrapper for mu shu pork filling—may sound daunting and time-consuming, but we discovered that they’re remarkably easy, thanks to the hot water that’s used to make the dough. Using hot water is important for two reasons: It makes the dough less sticky because the starches absorb hot water more quickly than cold water, and it makes the dough easier to roll out because the gluten proteins don’t coil as tightly, and thus don’t snap as much when rolled out. As for the pork and vegetable filling, the prep can be done while the dough rests. We brine sliced pork tenderloin in soy sauce, which keeps it tender and moist, while sherry, sugar, ginger, and white pepper punch up the flavor. Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms provide a pleasantly chewy texture, and their soaking liquid adds depth to our stir-fry sauce. We also add cabbage and sliced bamboo shoots to bulk up the vegetable portion of the meal.

Serves 4

We strongly recommend weighing the flour for the pancakes. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure 3/4 cup.

Ingredients

• Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

• Stir-Fry

• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin, trimmed, halved horizontally, and sliced thin against grain
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias
• 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, rinsed and sliced into matchsticks
• 3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. FOR THE PANCAKES: Using wooden spoon, mix flour and boiling water in bowl to form rough dough. When cool, transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead until it forms ball that is tacky but no longer sticky, about 4 minutes (dough will not be perfectly smooth). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
   2. Roll dough into 12-inch-long log on lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Turn each piece cut side up and pat into rough 3-inch disk. Brush 1 side of 6 disks with sesame oil; top each oiled side with unoiled disk and press lightly to form 6 pairs. Roll disks into 7-inch rounds, lightly flouring work surface as needed.
   3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil. Place pancake in skillet and cook without moving it until air pockets begin to form between layers and underside is dry, 40 to 60 seconds. Flip pancake and cook until few light brown spots appear on second side, 40 to 60 seconds. Transfer to plate and, when cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pancakes. Stack pancakes moist side up and cover loosely with plastic. Repeat with remaining pancakes. Cover pancakes tightly and keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. (Pancakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped pancakes at room temperature. Unwrap and place on plate. Invert second plate over pancakes and microwave until warm and soft, 60 to 90 seconds.)
   4. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Microwave 1 cup water and mushrooms in covered bowl until steaming, about 1 minute. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms through fine-mesh strainer and reserve 1/3 cup liquid. Discard mushroom stems and slice caps thin.
   5. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sherry, sugar, ginger, and pepper in large bowl. Add pork and toss to combine. Whisk together reserved mushroom liquid, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, and cornstarch; set aside.
   6. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggs and scramble quickly until set but not dry, about 15 seconds. Transfer to bowl and break eggs into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces with fork. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and heat 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add pork mixture. Spread into even layer and cook without moving it until well browned on 1 side, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all pork is opaque, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl with eggs.
   7. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Whisk mushroom liquid mixture to recombine. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add cabbage, all but 2 tablespoons scallion greens, and mushroom liquid mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid has evaporated and cabbage is wilted but retains some crunch, 2 to 3 minutes. Add pork and eggs and stir to combine. Transfer to platter and top with scallion greens.
   8. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon hoisin in center of each warm pancake. Spoon stir-fry over hoisin and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

No Substitutions

Don’t be tempted to substitute tortillas or other wrappers for homemade Mandarin pancakes; there is no replacement for their thin, delicate, stretchy texture. Plus, the pancakes can be made well in advance and refrigerated or frozen.

Technique

Pancakes Made Two by Two

Cooking two rounds together produces pancakes twice as fast.

SANDWICH: Brush 6 disks with sesame oil. Top with unoiled disks. Press pairs together, then roll into thin rounds.

COOK: Heat each round until air pockets form between layers and underside is dry. Flip and cook second side.

PULL APART: When pancakes are cool enough to handle, peel apart into 2 pieces.

Technique

Science: What Hot Water Does to Dough

Most lean Western doughs, such as for pizza and rustic breads, are made with cold water primarily because the yeast they contain would die if exposed to hot water. But unyeasted Mandarin pancake dough calls for hot water, which eliminates two problems that plague most cold-water doughs: stickiness and springback.
Hot water makes the dough less sticky because it separates the tightly packed starch molecules faster than cold water does, allowing the starch to absorb the free water that would otherwise make the dough tacky.
Hot water also makes the dough easy to roll out because it straightens some of the coiled sections of gluten (the network of proteins that give dough structure). As a result, the dough is less elastic and less prone to snapping back. At the same time, the straightened proteins can move closer together and form tighter bonds, creating a stronger gluten network that allows the dough to be rolled out paper-thin without tearing and makes the pancakes stretchy.

NOT SO WOUND UP: Hot water straightens the tightly coiled gluten proteins, making the dough easier to roll out.