Tofu Fried With Pork And Black Bean Sauce Pengs Home Style Bean Curd Recipes

BEAN CURD SZECHUAN-STYLE (MA PO DOFU)

Steps:

• Cut bean curd into .5-inch cubes, place in a colander and leave to drain for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl blend the marinade: 1 tsp of soy sauce, sherry, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce; add pork and stir to coat.
• Stir in 1 tsp of the oil and marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat a wok or wide frying pan over high heat.
• When pan is hot, add remaining veg oil.
• When oil begins to heat (i.e. passes the "water droplet test" where a sprinkling of water thrown into the oil starts to crackle--careful here) add ginger and garlic.
• Stir once, then add pork and stir-fry until meat isn't pink any more, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in hot bean sauce (lajiaojiang or tobanjan).
• Add drained beancurd, the water and the 2 Tbsp soy sauce.
• Simmer for 3 minutes, then add green onion.
• Re-mix cornstarch and water with a fork, add to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens (this happens very quickly).
• Sprinkle with crushed szechuan peppercorns just before serving.
• Serve over large mounds of hot white rice.
• I have served this along with some stir-fried Chinese broccoli (gai lan) seasoned with a little oyster sauce, or some baby bok choy stir fried with a little sesame oil.
• For a vegetarian version, this recipe also works if you omit the meat.
• You could also try using some kind of veggie sausage, like Morningstar crumbles, in place of the pork.

MAPO TOFU WITH CHINESE BLACK BEANS SICHUAN STYLE

Steps:

• PREPARATION.
• Rinse briefly the salted black beans in water to remove some of the salt and then add 2 or more tablespoons rice wine and soak for 15 minutes, set aside.
• Add grated ginger to the salted black beans.
• In a bowl add the ground meat and 1 tablespoon soya sauce and mix, set aside.
• In a measuring cup add 1/2 to 3/4 cup stock, oyster sauce, Amoy Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce, garlic, chili paste with garlic, sugar, chili peppers, set aside.
• Cut up the tofu into bite size cubes, set aside.
• In a cup add 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, 4 tablespoons stock, mix to create a watery mixture, set aside.
• COOKING DIRECTIONS.
• In a wok (or Teflon pan) add the peanut oil and when hot add the salted black bean mixture, stir for 1 minute.
• Add the ground pork (or other meat) and stir to break up the pieces for about 1 minute.
• Next add the stock mixture, stir and bring to a boil.
• Add the tofu and gently toss (try not to break up the tofu), cover and let cook for 2 or more minutes, remove the cover and gently toss again, cover and let cook for 1 more minutes.
• Mix the tapioca starch and stock, remove the cover and then add ½ of the mixture and at the same time stir gently until the sauce becomes thick (add more of the tapioca mixture as needed).
• Add the scallions and sesame oil, briefly toss gently� now you are almost finished.
• In individual plates add some white rice and the black bean & tofu sauce on the side or on top.
• Enjoy.
• NOTES:.
• You can substitute ingredients like using sweet oyster sauce or eliminating the salted black beans and also reducing a little of the spicy ingredients for a milder dish.
• The photo shows that I used scotch bonnet peppers which are extremely hot, so substitute other types to your liking.
• You can use the soft tofu, but it will break down more easily when stirring and also release more liquid as well.
• If you add to much stock (1/2 to 3/4 is good) or the softer types of tofu the sauce will become to thinner� and you will then need to add more of the tapioca starch mixture for a thicker sauce.
• The Amoy Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce (fermented salted soybean, chili, garlic) is a great ingredient for this spicy dish or use other types of sauce found on Asian food store shelves.