(Yalun Tu for The Boston Globe)
Food & Travel
Mapo tofu
(Yalun Tu for The Boston Globe)
Serves 4
Buy Sichuan pepper whole. Dry roast it in a skillet (without oil) until aromatic. Then cool and grind into a powder. Or buy Sichuan pepper already ground into a powder at a Chinese market. To add rice wine to a wok or skillet, pour it along the sides, rather than pouring it directly onto the food. This gives the best flavor.
| 1 | tablespoon canola oil |
| 1/2 | pound lean ground beef |
| 1 | tablespoon chili bean paste or Chinese chili sauce, or to taste |
| 2 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 1 | piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, finely chopped |
| 1/4 | teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, or to taste |
| 1 | cup chicken stock |
| 1/2 | tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (or substitute pale dry sherry or dry white wine) |
| 1 | tablespoon soy sauce |
| 1 | pound soft or medium tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 4 | scallions, finely chopped |
| 2 | teaspoons toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns, or to taste |
| Salt, to taste |
2. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Turn the heat to low. Add the bean paste or chili sauce, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chili powder or cayenne pepper, chicken stock, rice wine, and soy sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the tofu. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through.
4. Return the beef to the pan. Add the scallions and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper. Serve with rice. Adapted from Da Ping Huo 
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
