Ants Climbing Up A Tree

* Exported from MasterCook *

ANTS CLIMBING UP A TREE

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 lb Pork shoulder steak, boned
-and finely chopped, not
-ground
2 tb Soy sauce, light
2 tb Chinese rice wine or dry
-sherry
1 t Ginger -- grated
6 Scallions -- thinly sliced
1 c Finely chopped cabbage or
-Napa (celery cabbage)
1 oz Chinese dried mushrooms,
-soaked in water for 2
-hours,
Drained and finely chopped
-(reserve the water)
4 c Oil, peanut -- for deep frying
1 Package (4 ounce) glass
-noodles (sai fun)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 tb Hot bean sauce
pn Sugar, granulated
Pepper, black -- to taste
2 tb Cornstarch dissolved in 2
-tablespoons water
1 tb Oil, sesame, toasted

Iceberg lettuce leaves, 2 or 3 for each person Bone
and finely chop the pork. Do not grind this as you
want very small pieces to "climb" on the branches of
the noodles. Marinate the pork in the soy, wine and
ginger for about 15 minutes. Slice the green onions.
Finely chop the cabbage and mushrooms, reserving the
soaking water from the mushrooms. Heat the oil in a
wok until it is just beginning to smoke. Use good
ventilation in your kitchen for this one! Open the
noodle package and undo them a bit. Drop into the hot
fat in small batches. They will immediately puff up
into wonderful white crunchy noodles. Turn quickly to
be sure that all of them are cooked. Remove from the
pan and drain on paper towels. Be very careful with
this. You could burn yourself. Set the noodles aside.
Heat another wok or frying pan and add 1 Tablespoon of
the peanut oil. Add the chopped garlic and toss for a
moment. Add the meat and marinade and stir fry, mixing
it about, until the meat is tender but not dry, about
3 minutes on high heat. Remove the meat mixture and
add the vegetables to the wok. Stir fry over high heat
for 3 more minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add
the hot bean sauce, sugar and black pepper. Stir fry
for 1 minute and then add the cornstarch dissolved in
the water. Stir until the sauce thickens. If you have
too little sauce, add a bit of the water in which you
have soaked the mushrooms. Add the sesame oil and
stir. Place the fried noodles on a large platter and
pour the meat and vegetable mixture over the noodles.
Do this carefully so that the little pieces of pork
and mushrooms will cling to the "branches". Toss at
the table in front of your guests. Each person then
takes a bit of noodle and meat sauce and places it in
the center of a lettuce leaf. Roll it up like a
burrito and enjoy. Serves 6-8 as part of a Chinese
meal Source: The Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine From
The Cookie Lady's Files

Submitted By CHEF BRUCE HANNA



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