Moo Shu pork is a healthy and tasty stir fry dish. This is an authentic Chinese recipe and very quick to make. Moo Shu pork is naturally low-carb and keto, and you can easily make it gluten-free.
I want to introduce a delicious way to use the wood ear mushrooms, also known as black fungus, because fungi are nutritious yet most of us don’t eat enough of them. Moo Shu pork is the perfect recipe to include wood ear mushrooms in our meals.
What is Moo Shu Pork?
Moo Shu pork (木须肉) is a well-known dish from northern China, where I grew up. Moo Shu in Mandarin is pronounced “muxu”, referring to the osmanthus flowers that the scrambled eggs resemble. In addition to pork and eggs, wood ear mushroom (black fungus) is another main ingredient. People often add other ingredients such as lily flowers, cucumber, carrot, spinach, etc. but they are not mandatory for the dish to be authentic. The photo below illustrates the ingredients I used in this recipe, which is one of the most popular combinations.
What Cut of Pork is in Moo Shu Pork?
Moo Shu pork uses pork tenderloin traditionally. In the absence of pork tenderloin, you can use another lean cut of the pork, such as pork loin or pork leg meat. Although pork tenderloin is the default choice by most cooks, some people prefer fattier cuts and I have seen both lean and fatty pork in different versions of this dish.
How to Cut Cucumbers and Carrots
Cutting vegetables is an art in Chinese cooking. In this dish, I cut the cucumber and the carrot into diamond-shaped slices, like how it should be in authentic preparations. First cut the cucumber and carrot into segments diagonally, and then lay each segment flat on the cut side and thinly slice them. The photo below illustrates these steps to produce diamond-shaped slices.
Health Benefits of Wood Ear Mushrooms (Black Fungus)
Wood ear mushrooms are widely popular in China as an edible fungus and a prized medicinal ingredient. They are high in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, and considered the “meat” in the plant world. In Traditional Chinese medicine, wood ear mushrooms are most frequently used to replenish blood and treat blood diseases. In addition, they have many other benefits such as immune boosting, anti-aging, liver protection, digestive support, and anti-radiation.
Related: More Healthy and Tasty Stir Fry Dishes You Will Love
Moo Shu Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms approx. 7g per 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup dried lily flowers approx. 10g per 1/4 cup
- 150 g pork tenderloin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil divided
- 3 eggs divided
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
Instructions
- Soak the wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of cool water for 2 to 4 hours to rehydrate.
- Soak the dried lily flowers in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Thinly slice the pork tenderloin. Place the pork slices, along with salt, shaoxing wine, and 1 egg white, in a medium bowl and mix well. Let the pork marinate, and set aside the egg yolk in a separate bowl.
- Remove the tough roots of the wood ear mushrooms. Tear the larger wood ear mushrooms into smaller bite-sized pieces. Remove tough ends of the lily flowers. Cut the lily flowers in half crosswise.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add wood ear mushrooms and lily flowers into the pot, and boil them for 3 minutes. Transfer the wood ear mushrooms and lily flowers into a colander to drain.
- Add the remaining 2 eggs into the same bowl with the yolk. Beat the eggs until well combined. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs in the pan, and scramble the eggs until they are just cooked through. Transfer the scrambled eggs onto a plate, and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pan. Add minced ginger, chopped green onion, and pork slices into the pan. Stir until the pork is no longer pink, for about 1 minute. Transfer the pork onto the same plate as the eggs, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan. Add the sliced carrots, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the wood ear mushrooms and lily flowers, and stir for 2 minutes. Add the sliced cucumbers, and soy sauce (or tamari) into the pan, and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the scrambled eggs and pork slices back into the pan, stir for 1 minute to combine everything. Turn off the heat.
Notes
- Shaoxing wine: You can substitute Shaoxing wine with any other kind of Chinese cooking rice wine.
- Neutral cooking oil: I recommend avoiding strong flavoured oils in Chinese cooking, such as olive oil and coconut oil. For an authentic dish, you can use peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil or sunflower oil - although not the healthist, these are the most common cooking oils used in Chinese cuisine. For healthier alternatives, you can use avocado oil (not traditional in Chinese cooking, but it doesn't have a strong flavour and it is what I use) and lard (a healthy fat and also very traditional in Chinese cooking, but harder to come by).
Nutrition
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