Ma Po Tofu
"Spicy Tofu and Ground Pork. This is an adaptation of recipe #78452 by Daydream. I couldn't find many of the items so I improvised. It is essential that you prep everything before starting this recipe, it goes fast once you get started."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 19
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1⁄2 lb ground pork
- 3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1⁄4 cup fresh shiitake mushroom
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 lb firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 5 green onions, sliced finely
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 4 -5 tablespoons hot black bean sauce (mash beans into a paste)
- 1 tablespoon szechwan stir-fry sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1⁄2 cup water
-
marinade
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
directions
- Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger into a large zip-lock bag, and reserve the remainder.
- Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl (1 sliced green onion, 1 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch), and mix well.
- Add the ground pork, mix marinade and ground pork together, and put in refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove hard stems from Shiitake mushrooms 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 a thick paste.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the Sesame and Olive Oil (2 tbsp sesame, 1 tbsp olive) and just as it is starting to smoke, add the garlic/ginger pasted and stir-fry, stirring continuously for approximately 30 seconds (take care not to burn the mixture).
- Next add the Black Bean Hot Sauce, Szechwan Stir Fry Sauce, Chili Oil, Shiitake mushrooms, and stir-fry for approximately 60 seconds.
- Stir meat mixture, add it to the skillet, and continue to stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes, until it looses its pinkish color.
- Toss in the tofu and the sliced green onions and continue to fry for about 45 seconds.
- Pour in the soy sauce and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook for a couple of minutes.
- If there appears to be too much liquid in the pan contents, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.
- Serve with steamed rice.
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Reviews
-
Like you, I had to improvise a little too, but it still came out really good. I made a vegetarian version and subbed water chestnuts for the pork (which gave it a nice crunch). I also increased the shiitakes to a 3 ounce package, which made this dish really special. For the liquids, I omitted the sesame oil, used ground bean sauce (which is brown, and used a little less, about 3 tablespoons), and oyster sauce for the stir fry sauce. I don't think the changes altered the basic integrity of the recipe, and we were very pleased with the results. It was quite delicious, and definitely restaurant quality. Next time I will actually double the amount of shiitakes I used, since that was my favorite part.
Tweaks
-
Like you, I had to improvise a little too, but it still came out really good. I made a vegetarian version and subbed water chestnuts for the pork (which gave it a nice crunch). I also increased the shiitakes to a 3 ounce package, which made this dish really special. For the liquids, I omitted the sesame oil, used ground bean sauce (which is brown, and used a little less, about 3 tablespoons), and oyster sauce for the stir fry sauce. I don't think the changes altered the basic integrity of the recipe, and we were very pleased with the results. It was quite delicious, and definitely restaurant quality. Next time I will actually double the amount of shiitakes I used, since that was my favorite part.
