My love affair with Chinese Hot & Sour Soup began long ago. Well before I realized what I wanted to do when I grew up. Years before I met my soul mate. And it happened in my little hometown.

Longview, Texas is a catfish and chain restaurant town. I remember a mom & pop Italian joint going out of business when Olive Garden bought some real estate. The only seafood joint with a packed Saturday night parking lot is Red Lobster. And customers are willing to wait the full 45 minutes at so-called steakhouses that are named for Texas and Australia instead of crossing the tracks for a steak that was raised on east Texas hay. The purveyors of mass-produced Chinese food have yet to realize the gold mine here.

Our town of about 85,000 people does not register on the P.F. Chang’s radar. Or even to Pei Wei (a P.F. Chang’s spinoff). But we have a Panda Express. Unfortunately, it is to Chinese food what McDonald’s is to hamburgers. Need I say more?

I’ve eaten in more than one Chinatown and at other locally-loved places in large cities, but the best Chinese food I have ever eaten was at Szechuan Gourmet (Long Beach Island, NJ), China Garden (Longview, TX – in an old Pizza Hut) and Magic China (also in Longview, in an old fried chicken joint). My faves had one thing, other than mouth-watering food, in common. Family. Not only did they cook their butts off for the customers, they tended to eat from the same kitchen. Each place had a specialty — Gold Coin (Szechuan Gourmet), Eggrolls and Mu Shu Pork (China Garden), and Hot & Sour Soup from Magic China.

The owner of Magic China happened to be my landlord, and he lived right next door. At least twice a week, he’d come knocking at my door around 11 in the evening. It didn’t matter that I had to be up by 3 (I worked a morning radio show), I was always happy to see Sam at my door with a vat of hot & sour soup.

I’m not sure what made his soup so special. Sam insisted it was because he began with rich chicken stock. I also know that he used a $90-per-gallon mushroom soy sauce in it. On top of that, the Auriculariales (wood ear mushrooms) were perfectly al dente; the pork strips were always melty; and the gentle strands of egg perfectly complemented the crunchy bamboo shoots.

If you’ve never had Chinese-style hot & sour soup, just know that it’s really neither. Sure, there’s a little tang and a slight bite, but it’s really just chicken soup on steroids.

Chinese Hot & Sour Soup

Chinese Hot & Sour Soup is a feast for the senses.

The Stock
2½ qts – Good chicken stock
1/2 – Onion, diced
Half-inch nub – Ginger
2 oz – Salt pork

1/4 cup – Cornstarch
1/4 cup Dry Sherry

Everything Else
6 oz – Pork shoulder or loin, trimmed and cut into thin bite-sized strips
1/2 cup – Firm tofu, cut into thick matchsticks (batonnet cut)
1/4 cup – Soy sauce
1/4 cup – Black vinegar (or sub with 1/8 cup each: rice wine vinegar & apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup – Soaked (dried) or fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup – Bamboo shoots, julienned
2 TB – Chile paste (Sambal Oelek)
2 tsp – White pepper

1/4 cup – Cilantro, chopped
2 – Large eggs, beaten
4 – Green onions, chopped or sliced (as seen in photo)

Optional but highly recommended:
1/4 cup – Soaked (dried) Wood Ear Mushrooms, chopped roughly
1/4 cup – Soaked (dried) Lily Buds, tough ends removed and sliced in half lengthwise

Make the stock — Whisk the cornstarch and Sherry; set aside. Combine other stock ingredients in a stockpot; bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer until it reduces to about 2 quarts (about an hour). Strain, discarding the solids. Bring the stock back to a simmer and add the pork strips. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, skimming any foam/fat.

Give the cornstarch mixture a quick whisk and add slowly to the stock, stirring continuously until everything is mixed and the stock begins to thicken (about 1-2 minutes).

Make the soup — Add all remaining ingredients (including the optional ingredients) -except- cilantro, eggs and chopped green onions. Simmer for 10 minutes. While stirring the soup in one direction, add the eggs in a thin stream. Add the cilantro. Garnish with green onions.

Makes 2 quarts. (Tastes just as good the following day.)

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Read the original on: The Unorthodox Epicure