Run Bing
潤餅·(rùn bǐng)
Ye Shi (夜市) – Recreating the Night Market
If you walked through the neon-lit alleys of a Taiwanese night market, you would inevitably encounter the Run Bing stall. Behind a mountain of colorful ingredients stands a vendor wielding paper-thin wheat wrappers, quickly layering sweet peanut powder, cabbage, and pork into a massive, portable feast. The grandmother's secret to recreating this ancestral dish in an American kitchen isn't magic—it is rigorous moisture control. By dry-frying the vegetables and laying down a heavy, absorbent bed of crushed peanut powder, you protect the wrapper and capture the exact, vibrant taste of the homeland.
Before you start
Pulse the peanuts and sugars together in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand.
This sweet, sandy powder is the soul of the dish and acts as a crucial moisture barrier. Do not substitute peanut butter.
Marinate the pork tenderloin.
Toss the pork matchsticks with the soy sauce, sesame oil, one teaspoon of the rice wine, and a dash of white pepper. Let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
Fry the beaten eggs into thin crepes and slice them into ribbons.
Swirl the eggs in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet over medium heat to create a thin omelet. Cook for one minute, flip gently, then roll like a cigar and slice into a chiffonade.
Ingredients
- frozen spring roll pastry wrappers16 oz
- roasted unsalted peanuts1/2 cup
- powdered sugar2 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- pork tenderloin1/2 lb
- soy sauce1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- rice wine4 tsp
- white pepper1/2 tsp
- large eggs3 large
- five spice dried tofu4 med
- green cabbage1/2 med
- carrot1 large
- mung bean sprouts2 cup
- celery2 med
- garlic2 med cloves
- salt1/2 tsp
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- fresh cilantro1 med bunch
- nori powder2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Stir-fry the marinated pork and dried tofu over medium-high heat.
Heat a splash of oil in a wok or large skillet. Brown the pork for about three minutes, then add the tofu to absorb the savory juices. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.
- 02
Sauté the garlic, carrots, and cabbage briefly before deglazing with the remaining rice wine.
This is the most critical step for a successful wrapper. Toss the vegetables vigorously in a tablespoon of hot oil for two minutes until just softening, splash in the rice wine to create steam, and immediately add the bean sprouts and celery.
- 03
Season the vegetables and drain them thoroughly.
Toss with salt and the remaining white pepper for exactly one more minute. You want the vegetables cooked but still crunchy, with absolutely no standing water. Transfer to a colander to drain and cool slightly; hot, steaming vegetables will instantly melt the wrapper.
- 04
Steam the store-bought wrappers to restore their elasticity.
Place a stack of the thawed spring roll wrappers on a plate and steam them in a bamboo steamer or rice cooker for thirty seconds. This brief rehydration makes them perfectly pliable and chewy.
- 05
Lay two wrappers on a plate, overlapping them slightly.
Overlap the wrappers by about two inches in the middle to create a wide rectangle. This double-wrapper technique is how night market vendors ensure the burrito-sized roll doesn't burst.
- 06
Sprinkle two generous tablespoons of the sweet peanut powder across the lower third of the wrappers.
This foundation absorbs any remaining juices from the vegetables, keeping the delicate flour skin completely intact.
- 07
Layer the fillings, fold the sides, and roll tightly.
Add a layer of the drained vegetables, followed by the pork, tofu, and egg ribbons. Top with a handful of cilantro and a dusting of nori powder. Fold the bottom edge over the filling, tuck in the left and right sides, and roll forward until securely sealed.