Mapo Tofu

To start, prepare the "Knife-Cut Chili": Heat a pan over medium heat, add a small amount of vegetable oil. Once the oil reaches 50° Celsius, add Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers. Saute over low heat for about 15 minutes until the chilies turn a light brown color. Remove from the heat and smash them on a chopping board with a knife until ground (you can also use a mortar and pestle or grinder). 

Tips:

If you find it troublesome or can't find this type of chili, you can also use chili powder and Sichuan pepper powder. Just fry them in oil to substitute.

Marinate the minced beef: Get a portion of slightly fat beef mince, mix it with cooking wine and potato starch, ensure an even coating and let it marinate for about 10 minutes. 

Tips:

If beef is not available, pork is a good alternative. You can opt for a ratio of 30% fat to 70% lean meat. Specifically, elbow and shoulder are the most suitable choices, or you can also use half-lean half-fat streaky meat.

Prepare the Seasonings: Chop up scallions, ginger, and garlic and set them aside. Also chop Pixian fermented broad bean paste and fermented black soybeans together and set them aside.

Prepare the tofu:Cut the tofu into cubes of 0.4 inches (1cm). Then place them in a pot of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Gently push the tofu with the back of the spoon, so that the salt can be more evenly distributed on the tofu. Turn up the heat to the maximum until the water temperature reaches 194 Fahrenheit (90 Celsius), then lower the heat and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Before the water begins to boil, remove the tofu and put it in cold water. This can help the tofu maintain its shape and prevent excessive cooking.

Tips:

1）First, choose the tofu. If you prefer a smooth and soft texture, the Southern tofu (commonly known as soft tofu) would be a good choice; if you prefer a rich flavor, then you can choose Northern tofu (also known as firm tofu or hard tofu). 

2）Cut the tofu into chunks. If the chunks are too big, they may not absorb the seasoning well; if they're too small, they might break during the cooking process. So, cubes of about 0.4-0.5 inches (1-1.2cm) in size would be just right. 

3）In China, we usually blanch the tofu in hot water first. This process can help to remove the fishy smell from the tofu. When doing this, use the back of a spoon to gently push the tofu in the water, which can prevent the tofu from breaking. 

4）Finally, it's important to remove the tofu before the water starts to boil, as this can ensure a smoother and softer texture of the tofu.

Cook the beef: Heat a pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil and beef tallow. Once it's melted, stir-fry the marinated beef until it changes color. Remove and set aside.

Tips:

Using beef tallow for frying makes the meat more tender and flavorful. If you don't have beef tallow, lard can be used as a substitute.

Prepare the base sauce: In the same pan, heat more oil, add in the chopped Pixian bean paste and fermented black soybeans (Douchi). Fry them over medium heat until the oil turns red. Next, add the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic. Turn up the heat and saute until fragrant.

Combine the ingredients: Add in most of the prepared "Knife-Cut Chili", stir briefly, then add the cooked minced beef, stir again. Following this, add in the tofu, gently shake the pan so the spicy beef oil coats every cube of tofu.

Simmer the tofu: Now pour in broth until it's level with the tofu, season with light soy sauce and sugar, and gently stir to combine all elements. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes. (You may open the lid during this process and gently push the tofu to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.) 

Tips:

Using broths like beef bone or chicken can ensure the savory flavor of Mapo Tofu. If broth is not available, water can be used as a substitute.

Thicken the sauce: As the tofu is simmering, prepare a bowl of starch water. When the soup in the pan reduces to a small amount, switch to low heat and add the starch water in 3 separate portions. Each time you add the starch water, vary the consistency. The first pour should be rather thin to dilute the soup. The second should be thicker, and continuously stir the tofu so that the starch water wraps around each cube. The last pour should be thinner than the second one to give the Mapo Tofu a glossy and appealing look. 

Tips:

Mix the starch and water in a 1:5 ratio (You can adjust the ratio of starch to water appropriately depending on the dish you are making). Once you've thickened the sauce, you should remove it from the pan as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the tofu will become more sticky because of the heat in the pan.

Finishing touches: Drizzle a bit of hot oil over the tofu (you can have this prepared beforehand), sprinkle some chopped green onions on top. Finally, sprinkle an appropriate amount of prepared "Knife-Cut Chili" on the tofu and voila! You have now successfully made a serving of classic Sichuan dish - Mapo Tofu.

Tips:

If there's no garlic sprouts available, you can substitute it with some chopped green onion; if there's no "knife-cut chili", you can also choose to sprinkle some Sichuan pepper powder. For those who cannot eat too spicy, you can choose not to add these seasonings.