Mapo tofu with pork
This is a Cantonese-restaurant style take on mapo tofu, a Szechuan dish that is traditionally very spicy. This variation omits the characteristic Sichuan peppercorns, chili oil, and peppers. I sometimes omit the black bean sauce and instead add spicy Lao Gan Ma sauce as a condiment.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 block tofu, cubed
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tsp sherry or white wine
- 1 tsp ginger, chopped
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp black bean garlic sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 scallion, chopped
- cornstarch slurry
Instructions
- Combine pork, cornstarch, oil, and 2 tbsp oyster sauce in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat oiled pan on high. Add ginger, garlic, and onions, let it cook and infuse with oil for a few minutes.
- Add pork mixture, and brown it in the pan with the vegetables.
- Add chicken broth, soy sauce, wine, pepper, and black bean sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook until reduced by about half.
- Add cornstarch slurry to thicken. Slightly over-thicken as the tofu will add water.
- Gently stir in tofu and heat through, stirring gently to avoid breaking it.
- Add scallions and heat until bubbling, then add sesame oil and serve with rice.