Bittman's Ma-Po Tofu

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's pit stop in China
and Mark Bittman


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut or other oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, green part only
• 1/2 cup stock or water
• 1 pound soft or silken tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Salt to taste
• Minced cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Put oil in a deep 10-inch skillet or wok, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later, add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, and cook just until they begin to sizzle, less than a minute. Add pork, and stir to break it up; cook, stirring occasionally, until it loses most of its pink color.
2. Add scallions and stir; add stock. Cook for a minute or so, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon if necessary to loosen any stuck bits of meat, then add tofu. Cook, stirring once or twice, until tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the soy sauce; taste, and add salt and red pepper flakes as necessary. Garnish with cilantro if you like, and serve.

Notes: We are moving in a few weeks, and I am trying to use up items in my freezer and pantry. This recipe fit the bill, as I had ground pork and a lot of rice on hand. Apparently this recipe isn't very authentic (due to the lack of black bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns), but it was quick and tasty. Tim loves the combination of ginger, garlic, and scallions, as do I. Next time I might try a more authentic recipe. Meat lovers may want to use 1 pound of ground pork and 1/2 pound tofu. We used 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes and didn't find it very spicy.


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10


Next week on The Amazing Race: China (again). Any suggestions?