Tag Archives: tofu

Hunan Pork and Tofu Spicy Stir-Fry

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An easy and tasty Hunan Pork and Tofu classic dish served at many Hunan restaurants throughout China and the US., and now you can create in your own home. Hunan-style food, like Sichuan food, features chilis and spice as a core flavor, and has really taken off in popularity in recent years as more Chinese immigrants and visitors make their way into all parts of America. 

According to Woks of Life where we got this dish, this Hunan Pork and Tofu recipe uses a liberal amount of oil (6 tablespoons), but you’ll notice that it’s lacking the strong/visible greasiness that you might see in Chinese restaurants, thank goodness.

NOTES: We had two boneless pork loins, each weighing 8 ounces, we decided to use both thus increasing the amount of pork from 10 ounces to a total of 16*. Because of the additional protein, we upped the amount of some of the other ingredients. We also used extra-firm tofu.

Out of spicy bean sauce, we substituted gochujang. In most recipes, doubanjiang and gochujang are used in comparable ways. They both provide spicy hits to any meal. However, doubanjiang balances out that spiciness with savory flavors, while gochujang emits sweeter flavors to provide a similar balance. 

Hunan Pork and Tofu Spicy Stir-Fry

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the pork and marinade:

  • 10 oz. pork (see above note*), sliced â…›-inch thick
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch

For the rest of the dish:

  • 6 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divided
  • 1 lb. firm tofu, drained and cut into 2-inch squares, ½-inch thick
  • 1 tsp. ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. spicy bean sauce (dou ban jiang)
  • 3 scallions, cut on an angle into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. fermented black beans
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1×2-inch pieces, about 1½ cups
  • 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
  • ¾ tsp. sugar
  • â…“ cup hot water or chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch, mixed with 1 Tbsp. water

Directions

  1. In a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water to the pork slices and massage until the pork absorbs all of the water. Next, add the oil and cornstarch, mix thoroughly until the pork is coated, and set aside.
  2. Heat your wok over high heat, and spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the wok to evenly coat the surface. Add the tofu slices to the wok in one layer, and let them sear. Don’t move them for a least 1 minute. Tilt your wok so the oil reaches the tofu on all sides. Add more oil if needed.
  3. After another 1 to 2 minutes, the tofu should be browned, and it should not stick to the wok. You may have use a metal spatula to loosen the pieces slightly. Turn down the heat, and carefully flip all of the tofu slices. After the tofu is golden brown on both sides, transfer to a plate. They should be much easier to handle now.
  4. Over high heat, add another 2 tablespoons of oil to your wok. When the wok just starts to smoke a bit, immediately add the pork. Spread the pork around the wok using your metal spatula, and let the meat sear for 20 seconds on one side. Stir fry for another 15 seconds, and scoop out the meat into your marinade bowl. It should be about 80% cooked.
  5. Using the same wok, turn the heat to low, and immediately add 2 tablespoons oil, the minced ginger, the spicy chili bean paste (doubanjiang), and the white parts of the scallions. Stir this mixture into the oil and let it fry at low heat for 15 seconds to infuse the oil and bring out a rich red color.
  6. Next, add the garlic, black beans, red bell peppers, and the rest of the scallions. Turn the heat to high, and give everything a good stir-frying for 45 seconds. The red pepper will sear and add more natural red color to this dish.
  7. Add the pork and juices from your marinade bowl and the tofu back to the wok. Next, spread 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, add the sugar, and continue to stir-fry for 15 seconds. Be gentle so you don’t break up the tofu.
  8. After another 15 seconds of stir-frying, spread the hot chicken stock or water around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze it. Continue to stir fry for another 30 seconds, being sure to spread the liquid to the sides of the wok to further deglaze it.
  9. At this point, you can continue to stir-fry the dish until most of the liquid is reduced, or add the water and cornstarch to thicken any standing liquid. Plate with steamed rice.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Woks of Life

Pork and Tofu Soup with Miso and Cabbage

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White miso is already packed with umami, but browning it like it is done to make this soup builds even more flavor. Just a small amount of pork is enough to create a rich, porky broth; firm tofu gives the dish substance without making it heavy.

Make sure to use napa cabbage, not regular green cabbage; the frilly leaves of napa are more delicate and become tender and silky after just a few minutes of simmering, but the stems will remain crisp-tender. The cabbage, tofu and scallions aren’t needed until near the end of cooking, so prep these ingredients while the soup cooks.

If you like, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with Japanese short-grain rice. We chose to serve it with just the sliced scallions and sesame oil as toppings.

Pork and Tofu Soup with Miso and Cabbage

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white miso
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 2/3 cup sake
  • 1 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut across the grain into 1/2-inch slabs
  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper
  • 1/2 medium head napa cabbage (1 to 1 1/2 lbs.), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 container firm tofu, (14 oz.) drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • Toasted sesame oil, to serve

Directions

  1. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select Normal/Medium Sauté. Add the miso, garlic, ginger and oil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the miso sticks to the bottom of the pot and browns evenly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sake and 4 cups water, scraping up the browned bits. Add the pork and 1 teaspoon white pepper; stir, then distribute in an even layer.
  2. Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 27 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, let the pressure reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then quick-release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
  3. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface. Select Normal/Medium Sauté and bring to a simmer. Add the cabbage and tofu, then cook, stirring gently, until the leaves are wilted and the stems are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the pot. Stir in the soy sauce, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the scallions and drizzled with sesame oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Hoisin Broccoli and Tofu Traybake

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Traybake, a savory, one-pan meal cooked on a baking sheet in the oven is a home chef’s friend. This simple vegetarian traybake combines several pantry staples—hoisin, soy sauce and garlic—with broccoli and tofu and yields a hearty, satisfying main.

A 475°F oven develops the right amount of flavorful char on the broccoli and cooks the florets to a pleasing tender-crisp texture. While steamed rice is the usual accompaniment, we went a step further and made Vegetable Fried Rice.

A bit short on the hoisin sauce, we decided to make up the 1/4 cup deficit by including oyster sauce. The end result was less sweet and more to our liking.

Don’t skip the baking-sheet prep. Be sure to line it with foil and mist it with cooking spray. The sugar in the hoisin makes things a little sticky in the oven. The foil and cooking spray help ensure the broccoli and especially the more fragile tofu release from the baking sheet.

Hoisin Broccoli and Tofu Traybake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into 1½-inch florets
  • 14 oz. container firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices and pressed dry
  • Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil. In a medium bowl, toss the broccoli with half of the hoisin mixture until evenly coated. Distribute in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Transfer the remaining hoisin mixture to the now-empty bowl, add the tofu and gently toss to coat. Place the tofu on the baking sheet, arranging it in a single layer, being sure that all the slices lay flat against the baking sheet.
  4. Roast the broccoli and tofu without stirring until the broccoli is charred and tender-crisp, about 25 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

http://www.lynnandruss.com

By Calvin Cox for Milk Street