Chop Suey - Recipes, History, Trivia

Chop Suey - History of the Dish

In a famous anecdote, a Chinese author claimed to have seen a sign in Shanghai, shortly after World War II, that read, "Genuine American Chop Suey Served Here." Though it is a commonly held opinion that Chop Suey is American in origin, there are many that maintain it is an authentic Chinese dish. Whatever the case, it is a certainty that this meat and vegetable combination rocketed to fame during the 1920s when everybody who was trendy wanted to head out to a "Chop Suey joint" for dinner.

Vintage advertisement from 1917 for a Chop Suey Restaurant, offering regular 40 and 50 cent dinners. Also Short Orders, as usual.

Chop Suey Recipes

Pork Chop Suey
Printable version of recipe
This vintage recipe is from 1949's Enjoy Chinese Cooking at Home by Richard Wong, founder of the Red Dragon Inn, which was located at 140 West 4th Street in New York City.
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1 1/2 lbs. sliced raw pork
3 cups sliced Spanish onions
3 cups sliced celery
3 cups bean sprouts
2 cups stock or bouillon
1/2 tsp gourmet powder (MSG)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp oil or lard

Slice pork in 1/8" thin slivers. Cut celery into one inch long pieces, then slice thin. Mix corn starch, soy sauce and gourmet powder in 1/4 cup of cold water and set aside. Place oil, salt and pepper in hot skillet, add pork and saute 3 minutes. Add vegetables and stock, mix well, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add starch mixture, mix thoroughly, keep stirring until sauce thickens smoothly. Serves 4 to 6.

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Chop Suey - Recipes, History, Trivia

Chop Suey - History of the Dish

Chop Suey Recipes

Pork Chop Suey