Moo Shu Goodness

Sometimes I get a hankering for a specific meal, and today's taste of choice is Moo Shu Pork. This dish gets its zing from garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and plum sauce. While I purchase my plum sauce in the Asian food aisle, my mom often makes hers using plum jam as a base. (Yum!) This sauce is the star of the show because it's slightly sweet but has an undertone of spiciness that adds life to just about any plain meat and vegetable mixture. Moo Shu Pork is an easy dish that can hit the table in 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish and requires only one pan. What could be better than that?

Begin by warming a stack of flour tortillas. This is best accomplished by wrapping them in a slightly damp towel and then in aluminum foil before popping them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. They will come out soft and warm. Next, heat some sesame oil in a large skillet over a medium burner. Cut the pork (or chicken or beef) into bite-sized pieces and stir fry it in the hot oil along with some chopped garlic and ginger (both from a jar in the fresh foods section of the grocery). While the meat cooks, rough chop about half an onion (I like the red ones!) and a bell pepper. Toss these in with the meat, and liberally sprinkle the whole thing with salt and pepper. When the meat is cooked through, put in some soy sauce and deglaze the pan. Add a package of shredded cabbage and carrots (cole slaw mix) and a little more sesame oil for flavor. Continue stir frying until the fresh greens wilt a little and become crisp-tender. At this point the tortillas should be ready to come out of the oven. Serve the dish by spreading a spoonful of plum sauce on a tortilla and filling it with the stir fry concoction. Fold the the tortilla like a burrito (upward from the bottom and then rolling from one side) to hold the yummy goodness together and inhale the little package while its warm.

These gems are easy to make and a big hit with the guys. They provide a nice Asian flavor without too much fuss. Enjoy!