Also called American Chop Suey, this dish was as exotic as home-front cooking was likely to be. During the war, magazines ran articles about Chinese cooking, each reminding the reader that the Chinese were our friends and allies.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound boned pork, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced green bell peppers
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups hot cooked rice
Canned fried noodles, optional
Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven. Add pork and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned on all sides. Stir in celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions; sauté, stirring constantly until vegetables are lightly browned.
Add 1¾ cups of the water and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 15 minutes. Combine remaining ¼ cup water, the soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir into pork mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Serve chop suey over rice. Top with fried noodles, if desired.
4 Servings
“When it comes to nutrition, the experts say that meat is meat—a fancy cut is no better for us than a thrifty one. It contains protein, minerals, and vitamins too valuable to lose. So never waste a morsel.”—Recipes for Today, 1943