• 1 pkg firm tofu
  • 2 medium onions
  • 8-10 shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated)
  • red chile peppers
  • 2 thumbs of ginger
  • 1/2 cup wine or alcohol
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lb ground pork



This is a ground pork-based sauce. It is especially good for the cold Autumn dinners and even better during Winter nights. Make a huge batch at the beginning of the week, and you’ll have something to look forward to the next few nights :) .

Whenever I make this recipe, it reminds me most of my childhood – and isn’t this what cooking is all about? Bringing back that sense of nostalgia, to relive that  first taste? My mom would make this about once every month during winter – we would have leftovers for the entire week! And the best thing about this dish is that the longer it sits in the fridge, the more developed the flavors get! The saltiness and fat from the ground pork jut mixes so well with the tofu and mushrooms. And the textures.. oh my god. Meaty – dare I say oozy goodness – from the pork, tender chewiness from the firm tofu, and soft silky texture of the mushrooms… heck, you don’t have to make this just during the cold season. Make it year round!

Preparation

Dice the following into 5 mm blocks:

  • two medium-sized onions
  • 1 pkg of firm tofu blocks (4 square blocks)

  • 1 handful of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms

Part 1: Ground pork

  • Heat your wok on medium-high. Add about 1-2 Tbsp oil.
  • Crush and add dried red chile pepper
  • Smash and dice a thumb of ginger and add to wok
  • Add in 1/3 of your diced onions
  • Add in 1 lb of ground pork
  • Cook until all of pork is browned
  • Add 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Add 1/4 wine/alcohol
  • Add 1-2 Tbs each of soy bean paste, hot chili bean paste, sweetened bean paste
  • Mix and continue cooking until liquid is almost completely reduced
  • Move entire mixture to separate bowl

Part 2: Everything Else

  • Add 1-2 Tbsp oil
  • Again, add red chile pepper and ginger
  • Add 1/3 of your diced onions
  • Add all of the diced firm tofu
  • Add all of the diced shiitake mushrooms
  • Cook through and again add alcohol and soy sauce and mix…
  • Add the three pastes again and mix

Part 3: Finishing

  • Return the ground pork mix back into the wok
  • Mix thoroughly and add 1 cup of water
  • Bring mix to a boil
  • Add in about 1/2 cup cornstarch slurry
  • Turn off the heat and mix
  • Let it rest!
Serve this over rice and garnish with remainder of your diced onions or green onions:
Let the sauce drizzle and soak into the rice overnight… great for lunches the next day! Freeze any remainder once it has cooled. What are you waiting for? Get your wok on, grind up those pork tenderloins, and take a flavor bath in this om nom nom goodness!
~rb huang