How to Like Tofu
November 16th, 2009 | View Comments
Please repeat after me:
Tofu is not a meat substitute.
Tofu is not a cheese substitute.
Tofu is not an egg substitute.
Tofu is not health food.
The key to liking tofu is respecting it as an ingredient with its own identity and cooking it in ways that enhance its natural light bean-y flavor and its unique texture. Deep-fried tofu? Delicious. Raw tofu cubes on salad? Vile.
My favorite tofu dish is Mapo Tofu. Please note that Mapo Tofu:
- contains meat
- is full of fat
- is full of salt
I’ve been making a variation of Mapo Tofu for years but wanted to try a slightly different flavor profile. I came across based on this recipe from Just Bento and decided to use it as a jumping-off point for tonight’s dinner (photo of the leftovers will show up in tomorrow’s bento post).
For the sauce I used a big dollop of hot bean paste, a medium dollop of miso, a tiny dollop of Chinese chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, a bit of brown sugar, a dash of dried red pepper flakes, low-sodium chicken broth, and water. I seasoned the sauce to taste with garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper. I didn’t really measure anything too closely, just kept adding the ingredients in different amounts, stirring, and tasting until I got the flavor and consistency I wanted. I didn’t have quite enough sauce for the amount of meat and tofu that I had, so I wound up adding another spoonful of hot bean paste and a bit more of chicken broth after I’d added the sauce to the pan.
Other ingredients: about one quarter of an onion, diced, several cloves of garlic, minced, and one package of firm silken tofu, cut into about 1-inch cubes. And one package of ground pork.
Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the union and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground pork and cook until mostly brown, breaking up the large chunks and stirring so all sides get exposed to the head.
Add the sauce and the tofu, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for a few minutes. Top with chopped scallions if you have them, and serve over steamed white rice.
Yvonne posted this on November 16th, 2009 @ 10:47pm in Chinese, Pork | Permalink to "How to Like Tofu"
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Likes to cook, eat, grow herbs, and collect kitchen gear in Houston, TX. 
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