Pictorial: Pea Shoots w/ Minced Pork, Dried Shrimp

[hzrt8w]

Pea Shoots with Minced Pork and Dried Shrimp (蝦米肉碎炒豆苗)

I had a wonderful dish in a restaurant called "House of Nanking" in San Francisco recently. This dish was presumably a Nanking (modern name Nanjing) style but I cannot be sure. I have tried reproducing this dish at home. I think I came very close. I like my version as it is less salty than the one in the restaurant. This is a very simple dish, but delicious!

Picture of the finished dish:

Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3

Preparations:

Main ingredients: (From upper-right, clockwise)

- Dried shrimp, use about 4 tblsp

- Garlic, about 5-6 cloves

- Ground pork, about 1/4 lb

- 1 to 1.5 lb of pea shoots

To marinate the ground pork: Use a small bowl. Add the ground pork. Add 1 to 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground white pepper.

Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Use a small bowl, soak the dried shrimp for about 15 to 20 minutes to soften up.

(Not shown in picture) Wash the pea shoots to get ride of dirt and impurity. Drain well.

After the dried shrimp have turned soft, drain water. Use a cleaver to chop dried shrimp into small grains. Peel and mince about 5-6 cloves of garlic.

Cooking Instructions:

Use a wok/pan, set stove at high. Boil about 1 cup of water.

Blanch the pea shoots for a few minutes.

Remove the pea shoots from pan when they are still slightly undercooked. Drain excess water.

Start with a clean wok/pan, set stove at high. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil starts fuming.

Add the minced garlic, minced shrimp and 1/4 tsp of salt (or to taste). Stir well. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add the marinated ground pork.

Brown the ground pork. Use the spatula to keep breaking up the ground pork and shake it loose. When the ground pork is about cooked (no more pink color), return the drained pea shoots. Stir, toss and cook for another minute. Transfer the ingredients to a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Picture of the finished dish.

(Note: The quantity of food made in this recipe is about twice the portion shown in this picture.)

[muichoi]

hzrt8w, this looks great-do you think that it would be necessary to blanch the pea shoots if a very intense heat source were available?

[hzrt8w]

hzrt8w, this looks great-do you think that it would be necessary to blanch the pea shoots if a very intense heat source were available?

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If you have a high power stove, you can probably do it all in one shot.

[helenjp]

I often get bored with things I can do with pea sprouts - this dish looks GOOD! It will be on our dinner table tonight . Thanks for the recipe, and as ever, for all the photos.

[Soup]

I've really enjoyed your post and hope you continue... Thank you!! Let me just also say that pan has to be the most famous pan on egullet!!!

[Chris Amirault]

hzrt8w, this looks great-do you think that it would be necessary to blanch the pea shoots if a very intense heat source were available?

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If you have a high power stove, you can probably do it all in one shot.

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This dish is a staple at our house when we can get good pea shoots, and we do it all in one shot. Great pictorial as always, Ah Leung.

[jo-mel]

I've really enjoyed your post and hope you continue... Thank you!!  Let me just also say that pan has to be the most famous pan on egullet!!!

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LOL! I agree!

[hzrt8w]

I've really enjoyed your post and hope you continue... Thank you!!  Let me just also say that pan has to be the most famous pan on egullet!!!

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LOL! I agree!

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Ha ha ha ha... LOL! For a minute I thought you were talking about Michael...

And thanks... I might be getting a wok soon though...

[zaskar]

Good work H,

I had a dish similar to this in Shanghai this past december.

The version I had was very similar, but used minced pork (not ground) with an XO based sauce. It was great.

I've maded it at home since, I think mincing the pok with a knife makes a huge difference than using ground pork. Of course this adds a little more wwork/time.

-z

[mudbug]

hzrt8w,

Where'd you get all the pea shoots? How much do they cost in your area?

I am growing the plants for the shoots because that's the only way I'd be able to find them.

[hzrt8w]

hzrt8w,

Where'd you get all the pea shoots? How much do they cost in your area?

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I live in Sacramento, CA, USA. Where we are pea shoots are readily available at about US$2.00 a pound. Sometimes on sale for US$0.99/lb.