Recipe - Leeanns Hot And Sour Soup

6 Mushrooms; shiitake
One fourth pound Pork loin; boneless
2 One half teaspoon Cornstarch
1 One half teaspoon Salt
1 One half tablespoon Soy sauce
6 ounce Bean curd; (tofu)
4 cup Chicken broth
3 tablespoon White vinegar
One half cup Bamboo shoots
One fourth teaspoon White pepper
2 Eggs; slightly beaten
2 tablespoon Green onions; chopped
2 teaspoon Red pepper sauce
One half teaspoon Sesame oil

Soak the mushrooms in warm water to cover until soft, approximately 30
minutes; drain. Rinse in warm water; drain. Remove and discard stems. Cut
caps into thin slices. Trim fat from the pork. Shred the pork into 1/8inch
slices, cutting against the grain. Place in a glass or plastic bowl and
toss with One half teaspoon of salt, One half teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1/2
teaspoon soy sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cut the bean curd
into cubes. In a 3quart saucepan, heat the chicken broth, vinegar, the
remaining 1 teaspoon salt until boiling. Stir in the bamboo shoots,
mushrooms, seasoned pork, and bean curd. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to
low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons
cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cold water, and white pepper; stir into soup.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour the beaten eggs slowly into the
soup, stirring constantly with a fork until the egg forms cooked shreds.
Stir in the green onions, red pepper sauce, and sesame oil. Serve hot in
individual bowls. For a Chinese meal, it is a good idea to have several
dishes that can be started or completed ahead of time. This hot and sour
soup is just such a doahead dish, if you wish, and goes well with most
Chinese menus.

Recipe by: Leeann Chin

Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by
MarySpero@prodigy.com (MS MARY E SPERO) on Dec 29, 1997