Moo Shu (also spelled as Mu Shu, Mu Xu, Moo Shi, and mù xū ròu) is a dish that originated in the Shandong province of China. It’s typically made with pork; however, we’ve found that it works great with beef. The name ‘Moo Shu’ refers to the egg in the dish, reminiscent of the tiny yellow flowers of the Osmanthus tree in blossom.
Rice, Tortillas, or Pancakes
We tried Moo Shu with rice, tortillas, and pancakes. In our view, plain white rice complements it perfectly. However, we still found that tortillas and pancakes made this a more interactive family favorite. Furthermore, Chinese pancakes with a brush of hoisin sauce added to the depth and complexity of the flavor. We recommend giving all of them a try. With these simple variations, Moo Shu beef feels like a different dish depending on which one you use, allowing for variety without mixing up the core ingredients too much.
Traditional Ingredients (Wood Ear Mushroom & Lily Buds)
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Due to the origins of this dish, you might not be familiar with Wood-Ear mushrooms or Lily Buds. We decided to omit these in our recipe because these can be hard to source and aren’t everyday pantry staples outside of Chinese cuisine. However, it’s hard to talk about Moo Shu without mentioning them.
Wood-ear mushrooms are commonly purchased, shredded, and dried in Asian markets. The name comes from their appearance when found growing as they are easily mistaken for a seemingly human ear growing directly on trees, commonly elder trees. Unlike typical mushrooms, they have a more jelly-like texture but still possess an earthy taste. Lily Buds is a starchy root vegetable, most commonly dried in Asian markets, tasting very similar to potatoes. These are typically used in Chinese stir-fries or grated for thickening soups.
If you make Moo Shu Beef often, we strongly recommend you head to your local Asian market to pick these up as they improve the dish. However, if it’s your first time making Moo Shu, it’s most likely better to stick with the familiar ingredients in this recipe.
Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing wine, also known as yellow wine, is a traditional Chinese wine made from glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice, sweet rice, or waxy rice), water, and wheat-based yeast. If you ever wonder why you can’t quite get your Chinese food to taste as good as a restaurant, this might be the missing ingredient. The taste is vinegary, spicy, and caramel-like. You should easily be able to find this in your local Asian market or online. Still, if you can’t find it or don’t want to risk buying another ingredient you’ll only use once, you can substitute it for dry sherry, mirin, or Japanese rice wine.
Cucumber
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Cucumber is a familiar ingredient for most home cooks, but it’s rarely cooked and often eaten sliced and raw. We cook the cucumber at the end of this recipe on high heat for only a minute. This method ensures the cucumber keeps its freshness and texture. The cucumber balances the Moo Shu sauce by offering a freshness and crunchy texture that cuts through any saltiness.
Additionally, you might not be accustomed to de-seeding a cucumber, but this reduces the amount of moisture that the cucumber brings to the sauce, allowing you to regulate the thickness of the sauce to your preference and ensure the sauce covers everything in the stir-fry.
Other Recipes
If you like this Moo Shu Beef recipe, here are some others you might like;
- Moo Shu Shrimp recipe
- Sha Cha Beef recipe
- Sha Cha Chicken recipe
Source: https://t-tees.com
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