MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Hot & Sour Soup
Categories: Mushrooms, Pork, Poultry, Vegetables, Chinese
     Yield: 6 Servings

   1/2 oz Dried wood ear mushrooms
     6 oz Pork tenderloin;
          - in 1/2" thick strips
     2 tb Low-sodium soy sauce; +2 ts
     2 ts Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
   1/2 c  Corn starch; +1 ts
     8 c  Chicken broth
     4 oz Shiitake or baby bella
          - mushrooms; stemmed,
          - sliced 3/4" thick
     8 oz Dry spiced tofu;
          - in 3/4" slices (optional)
     4 oz Firm tofu; in 1/2" cubes
     8 oz Can sliced bamboo shoots;
          - drained
     2 md Scallions; trimmed, thin
          - sliced, whites & greens
          - separated
   1/2 c  Rice vinegar; to taste
     2 tb Dark soy sauce
     2 ts Granulated sugar
 1 1/2 ts Crushed red pepper;
          - more to taste
   1/2 ts Ground white pepper;
          - to taste
     1 lg Egg; beaten

 Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or small pot. In a
 4-cup heat-proof measuring cup or medium bowl, add the wood ear
 mushrooms, then pour the boiling water directly over them. Let sit
 until hydrated and doubled in size, about 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, add the pork and 2 ts regular
 (low-sodium) soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and 1 ts corn starch. Toss
 until well combined and marinate for 5 minutes.

 In a large, wide pot, bring 7 cups of the broth to a boil over
 high. Reduce heat to medium, then add the marinated pork, shiitake
 mushrooms, spiced tofu, firm tofu, bamboo shoots, scallion whites,
 vinegar, remaining 2 tb regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar,
 crushed red pepper, and white pepper. Simmer until mushrooms have
 softened and flavor has developed, 5 to 7 minutes.

 While the soup is simmering, drain the wood ear mushrooms; discard
 the liquid and thinly slice into strips. Trim and discard any hard
 ends that haven't softened. Stir into the soup.

 Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch with the remaining 1 cup
 chicken broth in a small bowl. Slowly stir into the soup; continue
 stirring until the soup has thickened, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
 Taste the soup and add more pepper or vinegar, if desired.

 Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly drizzle in the beaten
 egg to create ribbons. Simmer for 1 minute.  Divide soup among
 bowls and top with scallion greens. Serve immediately.

 Tips:

 If purchasing a whole tenderloin, remove the 6 oz needed for this
 recipe and freeze the remaining piece, wrapped tightly in plastic.
 Or, cut the remaining piece into strips and freeze in a single
 layer on a sheet pan, then transfer to a zip-top bag and store it
 in the freezer for a quick stir-fry.

 Dry spiced tofu, sometimes known as five-spice tofu, is a
 vacuum-sealed package of firm, braised tofu blocks that can be
 found at Asian supermarkets or online. It's usually smaller in size
 compared to traditional silken and firm tofu packages, but the tofu
 packs a big punch of flavor. It can be used in soups and stir-fry.
 Look for it in the refrigerated area near the other tofu packages.

 Recipe by Vivian Chan-Tam

 Recipe FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

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