Instructions
9 steps · tick them off as you cookCube 1 lb silken tofu into 3/4-inch pieces and slide into a bowl of hot salted water; keep warm while you cook.
Toast 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over medium heat for 90 seconds until fragrant, then grind to a coarse powder.
Heat 3 tbsp peanut oil in the wok until it shimmers without smoking. Add 6 oz ground pork and stir-fry, breaking it up, until deeply browned and the fat runs clear, about 4 minutes.
4 minutesPush pork to the side; add 2 tbsp doubanjiang (fermented broad bean chili paste) and 1 tbsp fermented black beans to the oil. Sizzle 45 seconds until the oil turns brick red.
Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 tbsp grated ginger; sweat 20 seconds until aromatic.
Deglaze with 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, then pour in 1 cup chicken stock and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Drain the tofu and slide it into the sauce. Simmer gently 3 minutes, nudging (never stirring) to keep cubes intact.
3 minutesThicken with a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water, added in two additions until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
Finish with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, half the ground Sichuan peppercorns, and a generous shower of sliced scallions and remaining peppercorn powder at the table.
Chef's tip
Blanch the tofu cubes in salted water before adding them — this seasons the tofu from within and firms the exterior just enough to survive simmering without breaking apart.
Suggested pairing
Serve with steamed short-grain rice and a cold lager or barley tea to soothe the numbing heat.
About this recipe
Silken tofu bathed in a numbing, chili-red sauce with crumbled pork, fermented broad bean paste, and the electric tingle of Sichuan peppercorns.
ChineseIntermediatespicycomfortingumamiweeknight
