Mu Shu Pork Hotdish

My first job was at a Chinese restaurant; Chung King Gardens in Burnsville, MN (It has since closed).  It was during this job I fell in love with Mu Shu Pork. It is a dish I frequently order when I am at a Chinese restaurant or ordering take out.  

Could this be made into a hot dish?? Sure, why not!  

I began testing, tweaking, retesting, tweaking again, retesting.  On August 5th I served it for the first time; who better to pick than my toughest critics and biggest supporters - my parents.  Occasionally my mom would come in and say "It smells wonderful.  The result...They LOVED IT!  We actually ate the entire pan (typically would have served 6 people). My dad said "Make this dish for the fair!" I did have one small extra dish that I left in their refrigerator; a week later my dad sent me a text message "I forgot to tell you that the hot dish you made was still delicious for lunch today.  Stick with it for the state fair. ***** Five Stars!" It is great to know the hot dish held up and tasted good a week later.

Ingredients to Serve 1-2 people

•1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce

•1 Tbsp  Rice Vinegar

•1 Tbsp  Low-sodium Soy Sauce

•1/8 cup Orange juice

•2 Tsp  Finely Grated Ginger

•½ lbs  Boneless Pork Chops (One pork chop) about 1/2 inch thick

•1 Tbsp  Cornstarch

•2 Tbsp Canola or Sesame Oil 4 ounces Portabella Mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced

•½ Small head Savoy Cabbage, shredded

•½ cup Shredded Carrots

•4 ounces Sliced Water Chestnuts, chopped

•2 Scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

•1 cup  Pancake Batter   (store-bought or homemade)

Ingredients to Serve 4-6 people

•1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce

•2 Tbsp  Rice Vinegar

•2 Tbsp  Low-sodium Soy Sauce

•1/4 cup  Orange Juice

•1Tbsp  Finely Grated Ginger

•1 lbs Boneless Pork Chops about 1/2 inch thick

•1 Tbsp  Cornstarch

•3 Tbsp  Canola or Sesame Oil

•4 ounces Portabella Mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced

•1  Small head Savoy Cabbage, shredded

•1 cup Shredded Carrots

•8 ounces Sliced Water Chestnuts, chopped

•5 Scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

•1 ½ cups Pancake Batter (store-bought or homemade)

Directions for 1-2

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, and ginger; set aside.

Place pork on cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat, so that it’s parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut through the center of the pork chop, cutting it half . Then slice the pork chop into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Place the pork in a  bowl, sprinkle with the cornstarch, and toss.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to  1 quart casserole dish.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Stir in  the cabbage, carrots, and water chestnuts. Add the reserved sauce and cook until the cabbage begins to wilt, about 4 minutes.  Toss pork back into pan.

Transfer  mixture to an oven safe 1 quart casserole dish. I have also put it into take out boxes to bake; it makes

Follow directions for making 1 cup of pancake batter. Add the scallions to the pancake batter and pour the mixture over the casserole. Tip: Batter  should just cover the top of the dish. It is ok if you have a little extra.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Directions for 4-6

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, and ginger; set aside.

Place pork on cutting board. Holding the knife blade flat, so that it’s parallel to the board, make a lengthwise cut through the center of the pork chop, cutting it half . Then slice the pork chop into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Place the pork in a  bowl, sprinkle with the cornstarch, and toss.

Heat 2 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to  casserole dish.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add  the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Stir in  the cabbage, carrots, and water chestnuts. Add the reserved sauce and cook until the cabbage begins to wilt, about 4 minutes.  Toss pork back into pan.

Transfer  mixture to an 8” x 11” baking dish or shallow 2-quart casserole dish.

Follow directions for making 1 ½ cups of pancake batter. Add the scallions to the pancake batter and pour the mixture over the casserole. Tip: Batter  should just cover the top of the dish.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes

2012 Minnesota State Fair

What did I just get myself into? 

It's Official!! 

I am cooking at the 

Minnesota State Fair

August 28th @ 11:00am 

Creative Activities Building.

When my friend Danny Klecko asked me to do a cooking demo at the Minnesota State Fair I thought is he kidding; he was not.  Next question was what was I going to make?  Klecko said this year's theme is "Bars, Bundts & Hot Dish" I do not do a lot of baking so I chose to do a hot dish.  

Being a Minnesotan I am very versed in hot dish.  For my non-Minnesotans a hot dish is a variety of casserole that typically contains a starch (potatoes, rice, pastas), meat, canned or frozen vegetable, and a can soup (usually cream of something).

Over the last few months I went through a lot of recipes for various hot dishes.  I wanted something new. Let's face it, in Minnesota I don't know many people who cannot make the ever popular Tater Tot Hot Dish.  I wanted a hot dish I could make a small serving to fit with the theme of my blog. I thought about creating a deconstructed version of the Tater Tot Hot Dish, but my attempts didn't turn out as planned.  I wanted to make sure it was something that any home cook could do that was not time consuming.  This idea has been moved to the back burner to work on perfecting it.  

My searched continued... I looked at recipes of some of my favorite chefs; chefs like John Besh of New Orleans, Jon Ashton of Chicago and Brian Duffy of Philadelphia.  I made their recipes, they were delicious but didn't change them into a hot dish. I made a mental list of my favorite foods to see if any of them could be converted into a new hot dish. 

Then it hit me...AH HA!!


My first job was at a Chinese restaurant; Chung King Gardens in Burnsville, MN (It has since closed).  It was during this job I fell in love with Mu Shu Pork. It is a dish I frequently order when I am at a Chinese restaurant or ordering take out.  

Could this be made into a hot dish?? Sure, why not!  I began testing, tweaking, retesting, tweaking again, retesting.  


On August 5th I served it for the first time; who better to pick than my toughest critics and biggest supporters - my parents. I felt I needed to try it in a different kitchen. I headed to their house and made it in their kitchen. I took along all my own ingredients and tools to makes sure I had everything I need.   I will have only 30 minutes when I demo it at the fair so I needed to make sure I can go from start to in the oven within that time.  I also wanted to leave time for questions.  Occasionally my mom would come in and say "It smells wonderful." I was still nervous because if they didn't like it it meant I needed to tweak it again or come up with something new. 

The result...They LOVED IT!  We actually ate the entire pan (typically would have served 6 people). My dad said "Make this dish for the fair!" I did have one small extra dish that I left in their refrigerator; a week later my dad sent me a text message "I forgot to tell you that the hot dish you made was still delicious for lunch today.  Stick with it for the state fair. ***** Five Stars!" It is great to know the hot dish held up and tasted good a week later.  

My Kitchen at the Minnesota State Fair

Next week on August 28th at 11:00am I will be making the dish a the St. Agnes Baking Company kitchen in the Creative Arts Building at the Minnesota State Fair.  I have been rehearsing my presentation in my kitchen and even in my car. Trying to remember all of the tips & advice that viewers of shows like "Next Food Network Star" see the contestants getting from their mentors like Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, and Alton Brown.  "Have a point of view." "Tell a story." "Personality"

The full recipe will be posted next Tuesday!  Until then I have a few more days to practice.

Thank you to
Saint Agnes Baking Company 
for having me!

Meeting Jeff Roemhildt (11.9)

In my life I have know two guys named Jeff Roemhildt (kind of scary for such an uncommon last name.)  One I met in 7th grade and we have been friends ever since.  The second I knew only through Supervalu and Facebook.  The Jeff  I had not met works at our Northern Region office. The Jeff's had actually contacted each other on Facebook while searching for their name.  They had sent a couple messages, but never met. After having conversations with both Jeff's I found out they were actually related. I figured my 12 in '12 List was the perfect excuse to get together.

I decided that it was time that Jeff and Jeff met, and I met Jeff.  I arranged for us to meet on August 16th at The Lowry in Minneapolis.  We sat out on the patio and instantly all connected.  Before high school friend Jeff arrived, work Jeff and I talked about the work week at Supervalu. Then when high school friend Jeff arrived, the Jeff's discussed their family connection and found out they spent time at some of the same family places. It was interesting listening to them have the conversation.  I am sure there will be more conversations about family history between the two of them. 

Me and Jeff

Jeff and Jeff

We all enjoyed dinner and a drinks at The Lowry and discussed plans for getting together again soon.  I must add there was one more Jeff in my evening; my friend and The Lowry Assistant GM Jeff Rogers; it made introductions really easy. 

Dose of Music Charity Fun Raiser! A FREE NIGHT OF MUSIC & FUN!!!

FRIDAY AUGUST 17, 2012

Dose of Music Charity Fun Raiser!
A NIGHT OF MUSIC & FUN! 300-400 attended last year! Let's double it!

High & Mighty Band - Around 9:15pm
http://www.facebook.com/highandmightyband
Armstrong Clawhammer Band - 8:00pm
www.facebook.com/armstrongclawhammer

All ages before 10pm, 21+ after 10pm
FREE EVENT! - Neisen's Sports Bar - Savage, MN!
Dose of Music Charity Website: http://www.doseofmusic.com/
Dose of Music Charity Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/doseofmusic

Great Blues, Jazz & Motown Music

Burnsville Ale House

3809 Highway 13 W 

Burnsville, MN

Friendship Used

You Ask

I Offer

You Want

I Give

You Promise

I Believe

You Succeed

I Wait

You Promise

I Believe

You Don't

I Ask

You Promise

I Believe

You Move On

I Wait

I Ask

You Forget

Don't Let the Wine List Intimidate You!

Often times when you sit down at a restaurant or bar you are immediately handed a wine list. How do you determine what you should order? Do you have a favorite "go to" wine you order. Is it the price? The recognizable name? The color? Or maybe you are intimidated by the list and you choose another beverage?  


Jason Kallsen from The Wine Company and Peter Plaehn from Nicollet Island Inn offer great tips in this video from Above the Burner to help anyone chose a wine they will like.

• Know what flavors you like: butter, bacon, fruits, spice, etc..
• Know what price point you want upfront. Never let the staff push you into a range you are not comfortable with paying. No matter how great the wine is it will ruin your experience. 

Small Tips:

• Ask your server if he or she is a wine drinker. Not everyone is, however restaurants and bars train their employees on the various wines. Often times restaurants will have sommelier; it is his/her job to suggests wines. 

• I like to decide what I am ordering before I select my wine, this can ensure the wine compliments the food.

• If ordering a bottle of wine, it should be opened in front of you. The waiter/waitress will often put the cork on the table; smelling the wine cork isn't necessary, however you should look at it to see if it is too dry or moldy.

• If the wine does not taste right, don't be afraid to send it back. But be specific why you are sending it back.

• Did you know it is acceptable to bring your own bottle of wine to a restaurant? Find out in advance what the corkage fee (charge to open your bottle) is at the restaurant. 

• Compare price of glass to the price of the bottle. On average your should get 4 glasses of wine per bottle. I will often order a bottle and take home what I do not drink. (Remember that cork on the table?) This is perfectly acceptable. Enjoy the wine! Be responsible put the bottle in the trunk or backseat. 

I recommend subscribing to Above the Burner for more great videos featuring local chefs, bartenders, and restaurants. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.