Ma Pao Tofu
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 7, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup water 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 teaspoons sugarSTIR-FRY
2 (14-ounce) blocks soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes½ pound ground pork 2 teaspoons soy sauce 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground or crushed fine1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 scallions, white and green parts separated, whites minced, and greens sliced thin on the bias3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons chili oil, plus extra for servingBefore You Begin
Soft tofu is important to the texture of this dish; do not substitute silken, medium, or firm tofu. Sichuan peppercorns are an essential flavor in this dish; white or black peppercorns are not acceptable substitutes. This dish is fairly spicy; to make it milder, reduce the amount of chili oil. We like to use our Chili Oil for this recipe. Serve with steamed white rice.
Instructions
- For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together; set aside.
- For the stir-fry: Spread the tofu out over several layers of paper towels and let drain for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the pork with the soy sauce in a medium bowl and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil.
- Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
- Add the pork, break up the meat into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to the skillet. Gently add the tofu, cover, and simmer gently until the tofu and pork are very tender and the flavor of the sauce has deepened, about 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together. Gently whisk the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, being careful not to break up the tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chili oil. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the scallion greens, and serve with additional chili oil.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
SAUCE
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
STIR-FRY
2 (14-ounce) blocks soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound ground pork
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground or crushed fine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, whites minced, and greens sliced thin on the bias
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chili oil, plus extra for serving
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
STIR-FRY
2 (14-ounce) blocks soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound ground pork
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground or crushed fine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, whites minced, and greens sliced thin on the bias
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chili oil, plus extra for serving
Ingredients
SAUCE
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
STIR-FRY
2 (14-ounce) blocks soft tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound ground pork
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground or crushed fine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, whites minced, and greens sliced thin on the bias
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chili oil, plus extra for serving
Why This Recipe Works
Soft tofu best mimicked the versions of ma pao tofu that we’d eaten, so we built our recipe around it. We simmered the tofu and ground pork in our sauce, which gave us silky-soft tofu and incredibly tender pork. To replicate the flavors in traditional ma pao tofu recipes, we included chili oil, fish sauce, and Sichuan peppercorns and used a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Before You Begin
Soft tofu is important to the texture of this dish; do not substitute silken, medium, or firm tofu. Sichuan peppercorns are an essential flavor in this dish; white or black peppercorns are not acceptable substitutes. This dish is fairly spicy; to make it milder, reduce the amount of chili oil. We like to use our Chili Oil for this recipe. Serve with steamed white rice.
Instructions
- For the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together; set aside.
- For the stir-fry: Spread the tofu out over several layers of paper towels and let drain for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the pork with the soy sauce in a medium bowl and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil.
- Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
- Add the pork, break up the meat into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add to the skillet. Gently add the tofu, cover, and simmer gently until the tofu and pork are very tender and the flavor of the sauce has deepened, about 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together. Gently whisk the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, being careful not to break up the tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chili oil. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the scallion greens, and serve with additional chili oil.
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