Ma Po Tofu

Ma Po, which when translated means pocked marked old lady, is a delicious tofu dish. Legend has it that an old pocked marked face lady invented this dish and sold it to travelers passing by her home. The dish consisted of mainly tofu and ground meat swimming in a very spicy Szechuan sauce. Today, there are many different versions of Ma Po Tofu. Most of them are not nearly as spicy as the original and have varying meats and beans added as well.

Ingredients:

· Marinade for Ground Pork:
· 1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch)
· 2 tablespoons soy sauce
· Other:
· 1/4 pound ground pork
· 1 pound regular tofu (medium firmness)
· 1 leek or 3 green onions
· 1/4 tsp salt
· 1 tsp Chinese salted black beans (fermented black beans, also called Chinese black beans), or to taste
· 1 Tbsp chili bean paste, or to taste
· 3 Tbsp stock (chicken broth)
· 1 Tbsp cornstarch
· 2 Tbsp water
· 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
· Freshly ground Szechuan pepper
· 2 - 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed

Methods:

Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for about 20 minutes. Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions.
Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes.

While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.