Seven Thing
Ingredients
- 1½-2 kg Pork shoulder
- 460 g Green beans (Long beans)
- 100 g Preserved radish (one whole radish)
- Bell pepper (or banana pepper)
- 50 g Dried shrimp
- 125 g Dried Shiitake mushrooms
- Pressed tofu
Cooking Order
- Pork shoulder
- Tofu
- Bell pepper
- Mushrooms
- Dried shrimp
- Long beans
- Radish
Directions
- Prep Ingredients: Soak mushrooms and dried shrimp separately in hot water ~30 minutes, until softened. Dice both and reserve soaking liquids.
- Render Pork Fat: Dice pork, reserving trimmings. Slowly cook trimmings over low heat to render fat and create crispy pork bits; reserve fat for cooking.
- Season Pork: Toss diced pork with soy sauce, rice wine, white pepper, MSG, and a little rendered fat to prevent sticking.
- Season Wok: Over medium‑high heat, cook pork first until all moisture evaporates and the meat begins to fry. Remove to a large holding container.
- Cook Tofu: Add tofu to the wok to pick up the pork fond. Season lightly with soy sauce and drizzle with rice wine. Add bell peppers; let their moisture deglaze the pan. Remove tofu and peppers to the container.
- Cook Mushrooms: Add rendered fat and mushrooms. Cook well to develop flavor, adding mushroom soaking liquid if dry. Add dried shrimp and their soaking liquid as needed; cook until flavors merge. Remove to container.
- Cook Beans & Radish: Add more rendered fat and long beans. Cook until released moisture evaporates and they begin to fry. Add radish dice and cook until tender. Remove to container.
- Combine: Toss contents of the container to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Finish Dish: Return everything to the wok. Add remaining soaking liquids or up to 1 C vegetable stock as needed. Stir in ~2 tbs oyster sauce and 1 tsp sugar to balance saltiness. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.
The Gumbo Page
Michael Fritsche
mbf@fritsche.org