Chop Suey

Li Hung-chang (1823–1901) was a
Chinese general and a statesman. In
1896 he toured this country to encourage
the US government to relax its restrictions
on Chinese immigration. His visit to
this country is often cited as the inspiration
for chop suey.

This simple stir-fry of vegetables and meat probably originated in one of this country's principal Chinatowns (in San Francisco or New York). The dish's name is an American mangling of the Cantonese phrase tsap sui, which translates as "miscellaneous slops" or "fried miscellaneous."

Some people maintain that chop suey was a natural product of the immigrant Chinese workforce, which would make San Francisco a likely birthplace, since from the 1840s it was a major port of entry for Chinese laborers. Others say that it was a dish invented in 1896 in honor of Li Hung-chang, a Chinese diplomat who was touring America. That's less likely, since there are published references to chop suey in this country that predate Li's visit. Still, the statesman's tour does seem to have inspired an interest in all things Chinese, including food. By the early 1900s in New York City, for example, chop suey joints were all the rage; there were more than 100 of them in midtown Manhattan.

Many people, however, believed that chop suey was Chinese, and they continued to do so well into the 1920s and '30s. The collection of recipes in the little Mandarin Chop Suey Cook Book (published in 1928) was introduced with, "For years American housewives have eagerly sought authentic recipes for those savory Mandarin dishes which hitherto have been know only to the Orient . . ." But since the cookbook is American, so are its recipes. That makes them truly authentic so I used one as the basis for this Beef Chop Suey!

Beef Chop Suey

Makes 6 servings
The recipe for chop suey is flexible, but it's usually built around mushrooms, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. We added celery and scallions for more crunch. Serve the chop suey over freshly cooked rice.

5 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
11/4 pounds well-trimmed sirloin steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large stalks celery (with leaves), sliced on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
12 scallions, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces bean sprouts or finely shredded cabbage

1. In a measuring cup, stir the soy sauce into the cornstarch and set aside.
2. Cut the steak lengthwise into 3-inch-wide strips, then thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a large wok or Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add the beef and cook until just beginning to brown but still very pink, about 1 minute.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the celery, scallions, mushrooms, water chestnuts, salt, and pepper (if using cabbage, add it here, too). Cook until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the bean sprouts over the mixture. Restir the cornstarch and soy sauce, add to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Pork & Shiitake Chop Suey: Use boneless pork chops instead of beef. Cut each chop in half, then cut each half into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Use 12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms instead of the button mushrooms. Discard the stems and thinly slice the caps.

[This article first appeared in the February/March 2009 issue of Hallmark Magazine.]