Today for lunch I wanted to use some of the goodies I picked up from my recent trip to a Korean grocery store. What resulted was an eclectic mix of ingredients for a stew with a soy & tomato sauce. One of the ingredients I used were enokitake mushrooms.

Enokitake (enoki for short) are long, thin white mushrooms used in Asian cuisines, particularly those of Japan, Korea, China and Vietnam. These mushrooms are also called golden needle mushroom. Wild forms differing in color, texture, and sliminess are called winter mushrooms, velvet foot, or velvet stem among other names.

The mushroom is available fresh or canned, the fresh mushroom being my preference. They are traditionally used for soups, but can also be used for salads and other dishes. They have a fruity flavor and a crisp texture. The mushroom can be refrigerated for about one week.

For my pork & napa cabbage stew, I used the enoki as a garnish. Here is my recipe for pork & napa cabbage stew:

1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 lbs pork, diced
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups water
1 teaspoon: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper
1 small head of napa cabbage, sliced in ribbons
1 oz enoki mushrooms

In a dutch oven, place about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Heat dutch oven over medium heat.
Add sliced onions and garlic.
When onions have softened, add pork.
Add seasonings and stir, browning pork.
When pork has browned, add water and soy sauce.
Stir and add tomatoes.
Allow sauce to reduce to half.
Turn off heat and toss in napa cabbage.
Before serving, garnish with enoki mushrooms, with thick stems cut off.