Chinese friend of mine sent me a bag of preserved mustard stems. I've done a lot of Chinese cooking, but have not run across this item. Looking for how to use it.

Gai Lan (Chinese Mustard Greens) with Oyster Sauce MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN TIME ABOUT 45 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING TIME 1½ pounds gai lan 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic, optional ¼ cup oyster sauce 1. Separate the leaves and stems of the gai lan; cut the stems into 2-inch lengths. 2. Put the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok and turn the heat to high. Add the leaves of the greens and toss until they wilt, about 3 minutes; put on a platter. Add the stems, the garlic if you’re using it, and about ¼ cup water. Toss until the stems are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove them and put on top of the greens. Top with oyster sauce and serve.

Fried Bamboo Shoots Ingredients: 　 3/4 lb (350 g) fresh winter bamboo shoots 2 1/2 oz (75 g) preserved mustard green 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) vegetable oil for deep-frying; uses about 2 oz (60 ml) 1/2 tsp MSG (optional) Directions: 1. Remove the husks from the bamboo shoots. Roll-cut into diamond-shaped chunks. Soak the preserved mustard in water for 5 minutes to reduce its saltiness. Squeeze out the excess water and cut into 1 1/2 inch (3.5 cm) pieces. 2. Heat the oil in a wok to about 400oF(205oC), or until a piece of scallion green or ginger browns quickly when tossed into the oil and a haze rises above the oil surface. Add the preserved mustard and deep-fry for 30 seconds. Remove and drain. Add the bamboo shoots and turn the heat to low. Deep-fry the bamboo shoots for 30 seconds, then raise the heat to high and deep-fry for 3 minutes, or until brown outside and tender inside. Remove and drain. Return the preserved mustard to the oil and deep-fry for 5 minutes. Remove and drain. 3. Pour all the oil out of the wok. Add the preserved mustard and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry to blend, then sprinkle with the MSG. Remove and serve.

what an authentic find :) good luck in working it :) First off, drain the mustard stems in running water to get rid of the excess salt. You can do a quick stir fry with lean pork strips/ your choice of meats, ginger, garlic, sprinkle of szechuan chili peppercorns/not, strips of bell peppers, sliced onions, sesame oil, soy sauce with chinese cooking wine, OR boil them in soup with fish fillets, ginger, chopped jalapenos, some bamboo slenders. good luck, cheers ! :)

My mum used to make this when I was at home - 1. rinse the heck out of them - they're salty, sandy, dirty, gritty (but tasty after all that) 2. chop the leaves and tender parts of the stem quite finely - discard the chunky stem bits which will be too tough to eat palatably 3. mix them into coarsely minced pork - season with some white pepper, soy sauce and about half a teaspoon of cornstarch to bind 4. put into a shallow dish and steam for about 15 minutes nice to have with steamed rice and some steamed gai lan with oyster sauce