Moo Shu Pork

Paleo Moo Shu Pork is an easy, hearty weeknight meal that puts a Chinese spin on Taco Tuesday! On a Whole30? Spoon the savory filling on top of lettuce leaves or on a bowl of cauliflower rice for a delicious dinner!

Growing up, when my mom served homemade moo shu pork for dinner, I always joked that we were eating Chinese tacos. I wasn’t actually that far off—after all, my mom would wrap the pork and vegetable filling in store-bought flour tortillas if she couldn’t find traditional Mandarin pancakes at the Chinese market.

These days, whenever I serve Paleo Moo Shu Pork alongside grain-free tortillas, my kids remark that these DIY Chinese tacos have become one of their new favorites. There’s just something about sticking food into an edible wrapper that makes it taste exponentially better.

What is Moo Shu Pork?

A traditional northern Chinese dish, moo shu pork has been adapted many times over in American Chinese restaurants and households. It’s a delicious stir-fry featuring matchstick-thin strips of pork and vegetables and dotted with fluffy scrambled eggs. Typically, the stir-fry itself isn’t strongly flavored because most people tuck it into a thin Mandarin pancake wrapper slathered with sweet-and-savory hoisin sauce.

My mom’s version contains pork, Napa cabbage, and scrambled eggs, but she also adds more exotic components like wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, and julienned bamboo shoots. I left out these hard-to-find ingredients from my version because I want you to be able to make my Paleo Moo Shu Pork without having to make a special trip to an Asian grocery store—but feel free to include them if you want.

How is this version Paleo- and Whole30-friendly?

To make my Moo Shu Pork paleo-friendly and simple, I use my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce as the seasoning, and I serve it with store-bought Siete brand cassava and coconut flour tortillas as the wrappers. If you want to make your own paleo-friendly tortillas, I have a recipe on page 78 of Ready or Not! cookbook. I also use my own recipe for Paleo Hoisin Sauce, which pulls the whole dish together and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

In China, moo shu pork is normally served over rice rather than wrappers, so you can keep it Whole30-compliant by spooning it over Simple Cauliflower Rice. If you’re on a Whole30 and still craving some sort of wrapper, butter lettuce leaves and thinly sliced jicama are a fantastic sub for Mandarin pancakes/grain-free tortillas. (Unfortunately, Siete grain-free tortillas are considered SWYPO and aren’t Whole30-compatible—but they can be part of your Food Freedom after your Whole30 is over.)

How do you eat Moo Shu Pork?

There isn’t a right or wrong way to eat Moo Shu Pork. I serve the stir-fry with a pile of warm grain-free tortillas and a dish of Paleo Hoisin Sauce. Then, I leave it up to the eater to decide how they want to assemble their little packet of porky goodness.

Here’s the way I eat it: I smear a thin layer of Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm wrapper, and then I spoon on some savory filling. Sometimes I just pull up the sides and eat it like a taco. Other times, I wrap it up into a tiny burrito.

How do you cut the pork tenderloin into matchsticks?

Cutting the pork into thin matchsticks isn’t complicated, but I do have a few tips that make it easier. First, you should freeze the pork tenderloin for about 30 minutes or until it stiffens, but not so much that it turns into a block of ice. This way, the tenderloin won’t be too slippery or soft when you cut it.

Next, grab a sharp chef’s knife and slice the pork crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices. Stack the pork slices three or four layers high and cut into thin strips. Repeat until you have a tiny hill of pork matchsticks!

What can you substitute for the pork?

You can use chicken, shrimp, or beef in place of the pork—they’ll all taste great.

How do I cook this recipe quickly?

A little advance meal prep will save you lots of time in the evening. If you already have jars of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and Paleo Hoisin Sauce in the fridge, you’re already halfway there. When I plan on making anything with dried shiitake mushrooms, I soak them before I leave the house in the morning so they’re soft and ready to go at dinnertime. Also, you should have all your ingredients cut and prepped when you heat up your skillet so you aren’t scrambling for things when you should be stir-frying. And with practice, you will get faster and more proficient at chopping stuff!

What if you don’t have All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce?

Come on, people! My All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce only takes about 5 minutes to mix up and tastes fabulous in everything, so you should take a few moments to shake up a jar. You’ll be happy you made it because you can use it in all these recipes for the rest of the week! (Still not willing to make it? FINE. You can mix together 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder for the sauce.)

How do you store leftovers?

I store leftover Paleo Moo Shu Pork in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When I want to eat it, I reheat it in the microwave or fry it in a hot skillet.

Okay—ready to make some Paleo Moo Shu Pork a.k.a. Chinese Tacos?

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms or ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin matchsticks
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
• 4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (~½ pound)
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• ¼ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• Grain-free tortillas (I like Siete brand Cassava and Coconut flour tortillas), lettuce leaves, or thinly sliced jicama
• Paleo Hoisin Sauce

Equipment:

• Small and medium bowls
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• non-stick or cast iron skillet for making scrambled eggs
• 12-inch skillet
• Silicone spatula

Method:

Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with water for at least 30 minutes or until softened. Squeeze out the extra liquid, cut off the stems, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Set them aside with the rest of the sliced vegetables.

In a large bowl, toss the sliced pork with ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs and fish sauce in a medium bowl.

Heat a small non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil when the pan is hot and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.

Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil when it is hot. Add the seasoned pork…

…and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate.

Discard any liquid in the pan and add another tablespoon of avocado oil before tossing in the chopped mushrooms, cabbage, and carrot.

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, arrowroot powder, and sesame oil in a small measuring cup or bowl.

When the vegetables are ready, stir in the reserved cooked pork…

… and pour the sauce over everything. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Turn off the heat and stir in the scrambled eggs and sliced scallions. Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed.

If you’re serving the Paleo Moo Shu Pork in grain-free tortillas, heat them up in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and softened.

Slather some Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm tortilla or lettuce wrap and build your own Chinese tacos or mini burritos with the Paleo Moo Shu filling.

The mess will be worth it!

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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Paleo Moo Shu Pork

Paleo Moo Shu Pork is an easy, hearty weeknight meal that puts a Chinese spin on Taco Tuesday! No matter if the savory filling is wrapped in lettuce or served on cauliflower rice, this is a delicious addition to your Whole30!  

• ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (or ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced)
• 1 pound pork tenderloin (cut into thin matchsticks)
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
• 4 cups thinly sliced Napa Cabbage (~½ pound)
• 1 large carrot (julienned)
• ¼ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 scallions (thinly sliced)
• Grain-free tortillas (I like Siete Cassava and Coconut flour tortillas) (lettuce leaves, or thinly sliced jicama)
• Paleo Hoisin Sauce

1. Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with water for at least 30 minutes or until softened. Squeeze out the extra liquid, cut off the stems, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Set them aside with the rest of the sliced vegetables.

2. In a large bowl, toss the sliced pork with ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.

3. Whisk together the eggs and fish sauce in a medium bowl.

4. Heat a small non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil when the pan is hot and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.

5. Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil when it is hot. Add the seasoned pork and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate.

6. Discard any liquid in the pan and add another tablespoon of avocado oil before tossing in the chopped mushrooms, cabbage, and carrot.

7. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.

8. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, arrowroot powder, and sesame oil in a small measuring cup or bowl.

9. When the vegetables are ready, stir in the reserved cooked pork and pour the sauce over everything. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened.

10. Turn off the heat and stir in the scrambled eggs and sliced scallions. Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed.

11. If you’re serving the Paleo Moo Shu Pork in grain-free tortillas, heat them up in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and softened.

12. Slather some Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm tortilla or lettuce wrap and build your own Chinese tacos or mini burritos with the Paleo Moo Shu filling.

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