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PREPARE AHEAD:
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In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with 1/2 cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes.
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Discard the water.
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With a cleaver or knife, cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms, and shred the caps by placing one at a time on a chopping board.
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Cut them horizontally into paper-thin slices, and then into thin strips.
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Drain the pieces of bamboo shoots and bean curd, and rinse them in cold water.
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Shred them as fine as the mushrooms.
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With a cleaver or sharp knife, trim the pork of all fat.
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Then shred it, too, by slicing the meat as thin as possible and cutting the slices into narrow strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
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Have the above ingredients, stock, salt, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar, cornstarch mixture, egg, sesame seed oil and scallions within easy reach.
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TO COOK:
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Combine in a heavy 3-quart saucepan the stock, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork.
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Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes.
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Drop in the bean curd and the pepper and the vinegar.
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Bring to a boil again.
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Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to recombine it and pour it into the soup.
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Stir for a few seconds until the soup thickens, then slowly pour in the beaten egg, stirring gently all the while.
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Remove the soup from the heat and ladle it into a tureen or serving bowl.
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Stir in the sesame seed oil and sprinkle the top with scallions.
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Serve at once.
