Xiao Chao Pao Mo (Xi'an Spicy Stir-fried Bread)
Fry the torn bread! Xi 'an's Soul Food Explodes with Sourness and Spiciness
Description
The sibling of Xi'an's famous 'Yang Rou Pao Mo' (Soup Bread), massively popular among youth for its spice. Hard bread (Mo) manually torn by the diner into soybean-sized pieces is 'flash-stir-fried and braised' with beef (or mutton), tomatoes, black vinegar, and chili oil into a hot and sour (Suan La) soupless dish.
Restaurants serving Xiao Chao Pao Mo (Xi'an Spicy Stir-fried Bread)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Hard unleavened bread(Mo)
- Beef(or Mutton)
- Ripe tomatoes
- Black vinegar
- Chili oil
- Glass noodles
- Wood ears
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Bread Prep - Diner's Job) The diner manually tears hard unleavened bread (Tuo Tuo Mo) into 'soybean-sized pieces' and returns it to the kitchen.
- (Stir-fry) Heat beef/lamb fat in a wok. Fry finely chopped raw beef (or mutton).
- Add onion, bell pepper, and [ripe tomatoes]. Fry until tomato juices bleed out.
- (Seasoning) Add soy, salt, Five-Spice, plus a massive splash of 'black vinegar' and 'fiery chili oil', creating an intense hot and sour (Suan La) base.
- (Finish) Pour a small amount of beef bone broth. Add the torn bread, glass noodles, wood ears, and dried tofu.
- Toss aggressively on high heat until the bread absorbs all the liquid and it becomes 'soupless' (Chao).
- Plate hot and garnish with cilantro.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense tartness of tomatoes and black vinegar、Chili oil heat
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Tear hard pita bread and toss with a hot/sour tomato beef stir-fry)
Pairing
Bing Feng (Orange soda) / Tang Suan(Sweet pickled garlic)
Trivia
[Trivia] To Xi'an youth, the gentle soup version (Pao Mo) is for old people; this aggressive stir-fried version (Xiao Chao) is supreme. The most beloved junk-food bread dish at the gateway to the Silk Road.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Unlike the gentle soup-soaked 'Pao Mo', the oil and spices cling viciously to the surface of the bread, packing a massive punch. The hot and sour flavor drives the appetite insane. Biting on the accompanying 'Tang Suan' (pickled garlic) allows infinite eating.
Allergen
Wheat, Beef, Soybeans, Wheat (Soy sauce), Sesame