Along with dan-dan noodles, this is an iconic Sichuan dish (and the two are my favorites!) It’s also called, unattractively, Pock-Marked Mother Chen’s tofu, supposedly named after its smallpox-scarred inventor. It’s one of the few Sichuan recipes that’s traditionally made with ground beef (usually pork would be used), but you can substitute pork or ground chicken/turkey.
Roast and grind 1 tsp. of Sichuan peppercorns:
Slice four or five scallions into “horse ears” (sliced on the diagonal). Roughly chop 1 Tbsp. of fermented black beans. Cut a block of tofu into 1″ cubes.
Place the tofu into lightly salted, almost (but not quite!) simmering water:
Fry the ground meat in anywhere between 3 and 8 Tbsp. (1/2 C.) oil until cooked. More is more traditional, but unless you want a large pool of oil, I’d use less. I used 4 Tbsp. in this recipe:
Turn the heat down and add 2-1/2 Tbsp. chile bean paste. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the black beans and 1 Tbsp (more if you like it hotter) ground chile and stir for another 30 seconds:
Add 1 C. chicken stock and stir in well:
Gently add the drained tofu. From now on, stir gently to avoid breaking it up:
Add 1 tsp. sugar and 2 tsp. light soy. Simmer for five minutes, occasionally turning the tofu. Add the scallions and cook for a further three or four minutes, until partially cooked.
Stir 3 Tbsp. cornstarch into 5 Tbsp. water. Add it to the saucepan in thirds, stirring gently after each addition for a minute or so. Stop when the sauce is thickened and glossy — you probably won’t use it all.
Serve with a scattering of the toasted Sichuan peppercorns and sliced scallions:
Yum!
-R
