There is nothing better than smoked meat in my opinion. But in Shenyang, they do it even better. The pork is usually briefly salt cured, dried, and smoked over a wok with rice and sugar in the bottom. It gets a smoke scent and is usually pre-cooked or braised. This results in a very soft meat that has a smoke flavor infused and used to season the accompaniments along with this traditional dish.
The flatbread, crispy and light, are rolled out and deep fried to order. They float on the oil and are flipped half way through the cooking process. I am not totally sure of what came first, Shenyang's dish or Beijing Duck but the dishes resemble each other. Some leeks and Chinese BBQ sauce are used to wrap the meat and moisten the entire experience. Sometimes cucumbers are added for crunch like the Peking Duck experience.
If you order many fried pancakes, they will bring them out slowly so they can be eaten fresh as possible. It is one of my favorite dishes in Shenyang and every time I visit, I always visit the "Five Love Street" or Wu Ai Jie.
This dish can be compared to Native American Fry Bread, Indian Puri, and Mexican tostadas (but more pliable). Just think Asian taco with a fresh-flaky fried shell!
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