Adventures in Cooking: Tang Hoon (Mung Bean Threads) with Ground Pork and Mushrooms

[khaosworks]

Well, since we're sharing recipes... I've tried this twice now and it's turned out even better once I got the hang of not overcooking the tang hoon, which I'll point out at the appropriate juncture. The rice wine makes all the difference, really, giving it a sweet edge.


Tang Hoon (Mung Bean Threads) with Ground Pork and Mushrooms
Serves 3

Ingredients:

8 oz. ground pork
4 medium-sized Shitake or Chinese mushrooms
2.5 oz mung bean threads

Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
4 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli oil
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine

3/4 cup chicken broth blended with 1 tsp cornflour
Coriander, to season and garnish (parsley will do, but the taste is a bit different)

Instructions:

1. Soak mung bean threads in water for about 15 minutes. The brand I use is Kame, which comes in 7.5 oz packets, each packet containing three bundles of threads. One will be sufficient. The idea is to get it soft enough to cut into 5 inch or so lengths later without it disintegrating, but not so soft as to be soggy. Drain and cut the threads.

2. At the same time, soak the mushrooms in water, also for about 15 minutes (if using dry mushrooms - if not skip it). Drain, squeeze to remove excess water, remove the stems and chop finely.

3. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli oil (or you can substitute sesame oil and crushed pepper flakes), rice wine, ginger and garlic together with the ground pork and mix well. Marinade for 15 minutes. If there is any marinade left over (unlikely), reserve it.

4. Heat about 2 tbps of oil in a preheated wok at medium-high heat, making sure to coat the sides of the wok as well. Add pork and mushrooms and stir-fry until pork is cooked through - avoid sticking, but the broth later will probably deglaze any particles that do stick.

5. Add spring-onions and continue stir-frying for about a minute. Add the cornflour/chicken broth mix with remaining marinade. Add pepper and salt to taste, but it should be salty enough already, what with the soy sauce.

6. Let the resulting mix reduce a bit, before adding the mung bean threads. Stir-fry until the threads have absorbed the water and turned transluscent/transparent. Don't wait too long - the threads will suck up the water fast, and if you leave it too long or have too much water, they'll get too soggy, hence the need to let the mix reduce before that.

7. Remove from heat, add the chopped coriander and serve immediately, garnishing with coriander sprigs.

Happy eating!

Comments

[ohiblather.livejournal.com]

I've never cooked with mung bean threads before...hope I can find some in the grocery store.

Debbie

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

The Asian section should have them, especially if they carry dried Chinese egg noodles, or Chow Mein noodles, or dried udon, etc.

[ohiblather.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Debbie

[figmo.livejournal.com]

Is there a particular kind of Chinese rice wine to use? I see lots of alcoholic beverages in the Asian grocers around here, and I don't know which one to pick.

(Here's to hoping the recipe will work without the mushrooms.)

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Any brand of rice wine will do, as far as I can tell. Look for one that says "cooking". I use Kame and it works fine (this is not an endorsement of the brand, even though this is the second time I've mentioned it... it just so happened that the dried noodles and rice wine I bought were that brand).