Mapo Dofu Spicy Tofu With Meat Sauce Szechwan Style Recipes

Steps:

• In a large sturdy frying pan (preferably a 12" one), saute the onions and the garlic in the oils until onions are somewhat tender (saute less if using green onions).
• Add in the ground meat and chop it up with your spatula as you stir-fry. Continue until meat is no longer pink (takes only a few minutes--do not overcook!).
• Add in ginger, chili paste (to taste--leave it out if cooking for a toddler), sake or other wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, skimming off fat, if needed.
• Add in the cubed tofu and stir gently, while trying to avoid breaking up the cubes. Cook only until tofu is coated and hot (not long!).
• Stir the cornstarch into a few tablespoons of water--just to moisten--and add this mixture slowly to the meat and tofu--stirring constantly.
• Scoop heaping portions of the mapo dofu over steamed white rice and let guests add in more chili paste, if they desire.

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for about 20 minutes.
• Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.
• Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.
• Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions.
• Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
• While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients.
• Marinate pork for about 20 minutes.
• Cut the bean curd into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2- 3 minutes.
• Remove from boiling water and drain.
• Chop leeks or green onions into short lengths.
• Heat wok and add oil.
• When oil is ready, add the marinated pork.
• Stir-fry pork until the color darkens.
• Add salt and stir.
• Add the black bean paste.
• Add the chili paste, then the stock, tofu, and leek or green onions.
• Turn down the heat.
• Cook for 3- 4 minutes.
• While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together.
• Add to wok and stir gently.
• Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.
• Prep time is marinating time.

Steps:

• PREPARATION.
• In a cup add the salted black beans (rinse briefly in water to remove some of the salt) and then add 1-2 tablespoon dry sherry or substitutes. Then add grated ginger, chopped garlic and soak for 15 or more minutes, set aside.
• In a bowl add the ground meat and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and mix, set aside.
• In a cup add stock, Amoy Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce, chili paste with garlic, set aside.
• In a cup add the 2 tablespoons tapioca starch and 4 tablespoons water, mix and set aside.
• Cut up the FIRM tofu into bite size cubes, place in a pot of low boiling water, add 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 7 minutes, drain and set aside.
• For the Chinese Chives, discard the buds/flowers (some like to use this), wash the Chives and then cut into small 1 inch pieces ( ¾ cup), set aside, (or if using spring onions/scallions, wash and clean then cut into small pieces).
• Place the cleaned shrimp in a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vinegar, toss and let sit for about 15 minutes, 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, chives 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. (Further, if substituting spring scallions in place of chives, add at the same time the sesame oil is added).
• Mix the tapioca starch and water, 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 shrimp (discard liquid), toss gently and cook until it has a pink coloring (do not over cook).
• Add sesame oil, briefly toss gently... now you are almost finished.
• In individual plates add some white rice and then the shrimp/black bean tofu sauce on the side or on top.
• Enjoy.
• NOTES:.
• This recipe is fairly mild in taste. However, you can add chili oil, chili peppers or other hot spices to taste.
• The Amoy Sichuan Spicy Noodle Sauce (fermented salted soybean, chili, garlic) is a great ingredient for this spicy dish or use other types of bean sauces (like Japanese miso paste, Chinese brown bean sauce) found in Asian food stores.
• Serve with white or other rice of your choice.

Steps:

• Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger in a medium-sized bowl, and reserve the remainder.
• Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl (1 sliced spring onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon of Chinese rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch), and mix well.
• Add the ground beef or pork, give it another stir and set aside for approx 30 minutes.
• Place the tree ears or shiitake mushrooms in small bowl, pour over boiling water, and soak for about 15 minutes until they are soft and gelatinous.
• Drain the soaked tree ears, rinse, remove hard stems, and slice finely.
• Blanch the tofu in boiling water for 2- 3 minutes, then drain.
• Combine the garlic with the reserved ginger, and process together with a stick blender or spice grinder until they form the consistency of a thick paste.
• Heat a wok over a moderately high flame.
• Add the peanut oil, and just as it is starting to smoke, add the garlic/ginger paste and stir-fry, stirring continuously, for approximately 30 seconds.
• Next add the brown bean paste, Szechwan chile paste, water chestnuts and tree ears, and stir-fry for a further minute.
• Give the meat mixture a stir, add it to the wok, and continue to stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes, until it loses its pinkish color.
• Toss in the tofu and the sliced green onions and continue to toss and fry for about 45 seconds.
• Finally, add the sugar and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the soy sauce& water, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the Szechwan pepper corns and stir thoroughly.
• If there appears to be too much liquid in the wok contents, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.
• Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and season to taste with salt.
• Serve with steamed rice, and garnish with cilantro.

Steps:

• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Spread Szechuan peppercorns over a baking sheet.
• Bake peppercorns under the preheated broiler until toasted, about 1 minute. Let cool; transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush into medium grinds.
• Heat a wok or saucepan over high heat. Add oil; cook ground pork until mostly browned and crumbly, about 1 minute. Move pork to 1 side of the pan with a spatula. Reduce heat to medium. Add chili bean paste; cook and stir until oil turns red, about 30 seconds. Stir pork into oil.
• Mix black bean sauce and dried chiles into the pork mixture; cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken stock. Add tofu gently; shake pan back and forth until tofu is coated in sauce but not broken, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar. Reduce heat to low; let simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons cold water. Increase heat to medium. Add to the tofu mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time, until sauce is almost as thick as ketchup and clings to the tofu, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the green onions. Sprinkle toasted peppercorns on top.