Ma Po ToFu Má Pó Dòufu (麻婆豆腐) -- this is the authentic “Pockmarked Woman's Duofu”

This is a very old dish from the Szechwan Provence of China. The recipe comes from my Chinese Recipe Book. We have been enjoying it for about 35 years, mostly at home. It’s a relatively easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound Tofu (Bean curd), firm
7 ounces Ground Pork
2 scallions or one Shallot
1 tsp. Szechwan pepper,*

SPICES (combine):

2-3 cloves garlic
1 slice ginger
1 Tbs. black beans, fermented *
1-1/2 tsp. Szechwan chili sauce *
1 red chili pepper, dry, chopped *

SAUCE:

1 Tbs. cornstarch
1-1/2 Tbs. soy sauce, double black *
1 Tbs. Rice Wine (Unsalted) or sherry (NOT COOKING SHERRY!)
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)

PREPARATION:

Cut the bean curd into 1/2" cubes and put them in a pan of hot water to soak until needed.
Clean the scallions, removing any old green stems and shred.
Clean the garlic and ginger and mince both. Chop the black beans
Spices; combine the black beans, garlic, ginger, and Szechwan chili sauce in a small bowl
Chop the chili pepper (more Szechwan chili sauce may be substituted). Set aside.
Sauce; combine the soy sauce, sherry, salt, sugar, stock, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well, set aside.
Roast and crush the Szechwan Pepper corns **

COOKING

Heat the wok over high heat; add 2 or 3 Tbs. peanut oil and heat just 'till smoke. Add the ground meat and S/F, breaking the beef apart with the shovel (the meat should be in tiny chunks), until it is just gray. Add the scallions and S/F for 1 min. Add the Spice mix and again S/F for 1 min. Re-mix the Sauce and add it to the wok, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to bring it just to a slow bubbling and simmer for 1 min.

Drain the bean curd while the sauce is simmering and add it to the wok; again reduce the heat to allow the contents of the wok to just simmer very slowly. Simmer for at least 15 min. while you prepare an accompanying dish. The longer (within reason) that it simmers, the more the sauce flavor penetrates the bean curd.
Scoop out of the wok to a deep dish and serve. Roasted and crushed Szechwan pepper** sprinkled.

* Can be purchased in a Chinese Market

Fermented Black beans are sold in a cellophane bag usually salted. Szechwan chili sauce comes in a black labeled can about the size of tuna fish. Double Black Soy sauce is labeled just that. Szechwan pepper are corns just like black pepper corns. Dried red peppers also come in a cellophane bag. The whole lot should cost $5 or less.

** It isn’t necessary, but it adds a numbing sensation to the dish. Roasting Szechwan pepper corns is nothing more then heating them in a dry wok for a short time ‘till they start to turn dark. Crush them in the wok with the back of a spoon or use a mortar. You just want to crack them open to get the power inside. Strain thru a fine tea strainer saving the fine powder that comes through, discarding the rest.