Learn how to make a simple, straightforward version of Mapo Tofu from Chef Geoff Cox. Geoff is the executive chef of Hop Alley, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in Denver. This is a great way to use tofu in a savory, comforting dish. We used ground boneless pork shoulder, but you can substitute another ground meat, riced cauliflower, or even beans.
Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork Shoulder and Baby Leeks
Chef Geoff Cox
Cook time: 15 minutes
We don’t add any salt to this dish because the salt in the doubanjiang and the fermented black beans is more than enough. The only question is, how much sugar do you need to add to balance the salt from those two ingredients?
Chef Geoff uses a peppermill to finish the dish with finely ground Sichuan peppercorns. You can achieve the same effect with a spice grinder, or you can crush them with a mortar and pestle. You can also add the Sichuan pepper while the dish is cooking. If you add them while cooking, whole Sichuan peppercorns is fine. If it is your first time cooking with them start with a modest amount.
Prep
Make the cornstarch slurry by combining a 1 to 1 ratio of water to cornstarch. 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of cornstarch should yield more than enough for this recipe.
Soak the fermented black beans for 10 minutes in water. Strain and set aside for this dish. We only need a few tablespoons of soaked fermented black beans.
Ingredients List
1 pound Ground boneless pork shoulder
Or substitute ground beef, ground chicken, buzzed up cauliflower, beans
1/2 cup doubanjiang
Feel free to add more or less. It is spicy and salty.
2 small pinches of presoaked fermented black beans
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 sliced baby leek (if in season) or sub scallions
1 pinch of Chinese chili flake
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 corn starch slurry, plus more if needed
1.5 block of firm tofu cut into large cubes (4 on a firmness scale of 1 to 6)
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons of sugar, plus more to taste
Sichuan peppercorn, to taste
Cooked white rice
whichever is your favorite
Optional garnish: Thinly sliced scallions
Chef Geoff Cox of Hop Alley in Denver, Colorado
How to Make Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork Shoulder and Baby Leeks
Step 1
Have your pan heating up over medium low heat. Add the ground pork shoulder. Break up the pork with a spoon or spatula. Once the fat starts to render out, increase the heat to get a sear. Leave it alone until it gets some color. Resist the urge to stir constantly. Once you get some color and good fond on your pot or pan, remove the pork. It’s okay if some pieces stay behind.
Step 2
Add the doubanjiang, stir, and toast the doubanjiang in the pan a little bit. Then add the fermented black beans and chili flakes. Turn the heat down to low and keep stirring everything together to coax out the oils from the doubanjiang and to get a nice color on the bottom of our pan. Then add the minced garlic and ginger. Keep stirring everything. Cook until you can smell aroma of the garlic and ginger. Deglaze with about half a cup of water or chicken stock. You might want to switch to a wooden spoon to help loosen everything from the bottom of the pan.
Step 3
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir. Now add the tofu. Gently fold the tofu in with our sauce and season with ground white pepper. Add the seared pork back in with everything and gently fold it all together again. Add the baby leeks, stir gently, and cook until the leeks are tender. Then add enough corn starch slurry (about 1/4 cup) so that the sauce thickens and coats the tofu. Taste. Add another pinch or two of sugar (we did) if you want to take the edge off of the saltiness.
Step 4
When the leeks are tender, the tofu is warmed through, the sauce is coating everything, and you’ve tasted and adjusted to your liking, it’s time to plate. Transfer everything to a large bowl, and garnish with thinly sliced scallions if you’d like to. Serve with cooked white rice.
Simple Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground boneless pork shoulder (or substitute ground beef, ground chicken, buzzed up cauliflower, beans)
- 1/2 cup doubanjiang
- 2 small pinches of presoaked fermented black beans
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1/2 sliced baby leek (if in season) or sub scallions
- 1 pinch of Chinese chili flake
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/4 corn starch slurry, plus more if needed
- 1.5 block of firm tofu cut into large cubes (4 on a firmness scale of 1 to 6)
- 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons of sugar, plus more to taste
- Sichuan peppercorn, to taste
- Cooked white rice, for serving
- Optional garnish: Thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Make the cornstarch slurry by combining a 1 to 1 ratio of water to cornstarch. 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of cornstarch should yield more than enough for this recipe.
- Soak the fermented black beans for 10 minutes in water. Strain and set aside for this dish. We only need a few tablespoons of soaked fermented black beans.
- Have your pan heating up over medium low heat. Add the ground pork shoulder. Break up the pork with a spoon or spatula. Once the fat starts to render out, increase the heat to get a sear. Leave it alone until it gets some color. Resist the urge to stir constantly. Once you get some color and good fond on your pot or pan, remove the pork. It’s okay if some pieces stay behind.
- Add the doubanjiang, stir, and toast the doubanjiang in the pan a little bit. Then add the fermented black beans and chili flakes. Turn the heat down to low and keep stirring everything together to coax out the oils from the doubanjiang and to get a nice color on the bottom of our pan. Then add the minced garlic and ginger. Keep stirring everything. Cook until you can smell aroma of the garlic and ginger. Deglaze with about half a cup of water or chicken stock. You might want to switch to a wooden spoon to help loosen everything from the bottom of the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and stir. Now add the tofu. Gently fold the tofu in with our sauce and season with ground white pepper. Add the seared pork back in with everything and gently fold it all together again. Add the baby leeks, stir gently, and cook until the leeks are tender. Then add enough corn starch slurry (about 1/4 cup) so that the sauce thickens and coats the tofu. Taste. Add another pinch or two of sugar (we did) if you want to take the edge off of the saltiness.
- When the leeks are tender, the tofu is warmed through, the sauce is coating everything, and you’ve tasted and adjusted to your liking, it’s time to plate. Transfer everything to a large bowl, and garnish with thinly sliced scallions if you’d like to. Serve with cooked white rice.
Notes
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