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Mapo Tofu

Name: Mapo Tofu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 400 soft tofu; 15 g grated ginger; 30 g garlic (minced or pressed, 6 cloves); 75 g scallions (light green and white parts only, thinly sliced, reserve greens for garnish); 10 g Thai chiles (thinly sliced, or reduce for less heat); 2 g Szechuan peppercorns (ground, or sub black pepper); 75 g neutral oil (e.g., avocado or peanut); 125 g 80/20 ground beef (or pork); 40 g toban djan (fermented bean & chili paste); 15 g gochugaru chile powder (or sub paprika, added later); 30 g Shaoxing wine (or mirin, white wine, or water); 300 g chicken stock; 10 g soy sauce; 3 g salt; 5 g sugar; 1 g MSG (optional); 5 g sesame oil; 5 g cornstarch; 20 g water

This is every chef’s favorite Chinese food. It is spicy, meaty, fragrant, and it warms your soul like nothing else. The only time I actually like eating tofu is when I eat this dish.

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Servings: servings

Ingredients

400 soft tofu
15 g grated ginger
30 g garlic, minced or pressed, 6 cloves
75 g scallions, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced, reserve greens for garnish
10 g Thai chiles, thinly sliced, or reduce for less heat
2 g Szechuan peppercorns, ground, or sub black pepper
75 g neutral oil, e.g., avocado or peanut
125 g 80/20 ground beef, or pork
40 g toban djan, fermented bean & chili paste
15 g gochugaru chile powder, or sub paprika, added later
30 g Shaoxing wine, or mirin, white wine, or water
300 g chicken stock
10 g soy sauce
3 g salt
5 g sugar
1 g MSG, optional
5 g sesame oil
5 g cornstarch
20 g water

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Slice tofu into 6 planks, then cube into ¾–1″ pieces. Leave cubes undisturbed on the cutting board to prevent breakage.
Bring 2–3 quarts water to a boil in a wok or pot. Salt generously. Gently slide tofu into the water using a bench scraper. Simmer 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to dry.
Prep the aromatics: grate ginger, press garlic, slice scallions (light parts only), and chiles. Grind Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or crush with a pan.
Heat dry wok over high heat. Add oil and ground beef. Break up and brown for ~2 minutes.
Add toban djan. Stir-fry 30 seconds.
Add gochugaru and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry 1 minute.
Add scallions, chiles, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry ~90 seconds until softened.
Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, scraping up browned bits. Reduce ~30 seconds. Add stock, soy sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil.
Gently fold in tofu. Simmer 2 minutes.
Stir cornstarch and water together into a slurry. Add to wok and stir gently until sauce thickens to a stirrable, saucy consistency. Add more stock if too thick.
Serve over rice and garnish with scallion greens