Ingredients
1/4 lb. ground beef, ground pork, or minced mushrooms
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. peanut oil or other neutral oil
2 tbsp. chili paste, preferably doubanjiang
1 tbsp. fermented black beans, roughly chopped
2-3 tsp. crushed Szechuan peppercorns
6 cloves garlic, halved
1½” piece ginger, minced
5 scallions, cut into 1½” pieces, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 lb. soft tofu, cut into 1½” cubes
1 1/2 c. water or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. Chinese black vinegar
1/2 tsp. MSG (optional)
Chili oil, for topping (optional)
Cooked rice, for serving
Preparation
Step 1In a small bowl, stir together all meat ingredients until combined evenly. Set aside while preparing remaining ingredients.Step 2In a deep-sided large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add marinated meat and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and almost crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a clean bowl and keep fat in the skillet.Step 3Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add chili paste, black beans, and Szechuan peppercorns, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.Step 4Reduce heat to medium. Add sugar, tofu, and water, and bring to a boil. Periodically, gently shake the pan to coat tofu in the sauce. Cook until liquid reduces by half, 12 to 15 minutes.Step 5In a small bowl, stir cornstarch with soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and MSG, if using, until smooth. Drizzle cornstarch slurry into the skillet, and gently stir to distribute evenly, allowing the tofu to break into smaller pieces naturally. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes shiny, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle cooked meat evenly across the tofu.Step 6Drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with more scallions, if desired, before serving with rice.
Doubanjiang is made with regionally-specific pickled peppers and fermented broad beans, and while it is accessible to some shoppers, even I had trouble locating a jar in a multicultural city like Queens, NYC. For my favorite substitute, I was lucky enough to have on hand some of my mom’s homemade pickled chili paste to use instead. I’ve discovered that the best substitutes for doubanjiang tend to be bright red, relatively fresh pickled chilis—like sambal oelek—in combination with fermented black beans. I’ve also had good luck with deep red, oily and umami-rich Thai namprik pao—chili paste in soybean oil. As a general rule of thumb, the fruitier and brighter the flavor of the chili paste, the better the results. In terms of making this recipe as flexible as possible, I’ve also given the option of making it completely vegetarian-friendly by subbing out the ground pork or beef for minced shiitake mushrooms. Shiitake mimics the fine, crumbly texture of ground meat well while also providing great flavor. Just be sure to give it the same marination treatment before you prep the rest of the stir-fry ingredients so it can have adequate time to soak up all the flavors. If you don’t have peanut oil, you can use refined coconut oil or any other neutral oil, such as sunflower, grapeseed, or canola. One thing that is not negotiable, however, is soft tofu. For the right consistency—neither rubbery nor frustratingly fragile—avoid all other types of tofu textures, such as silken or medium-firm. A few tips for stir-frying at home: Adding any moisture to a hot, oily pan will result in splattering, so be careful and take a step back when you stir new ingredients in. Lifting your pan off the stove fire periodically and constant stirring will prevent burning in the absence of liquid. Before the tofu hits the pan, make sure you are stirring constantly. Once the tofu enters the scene with the broth, give your hands a break so as not to break the tofu’s delicate structure! You can serve mapo tofu with cooked rice or any cooked grains, but something is needed to help you sop up all that good sauce. Waste not, want not! If you’ve made this recipe, be sure to drop us a line down below in the comments and let us know how it turned out!
