Mapo Tofu
Greg Dunmore
The first time I had mapo tofu was in Japan. At the time, I didn't realize the dish originated in China—I just knew I loved it. After returning to San Francisco, I sought out countless versions, but none quite captured the balance and flavor of the one I remembered.
This recipe is my take on that dish. Rather than the traditional Sichuan peppercorn, I use Yamatsu Tsujita's Sansho Powder, which brings a bright, citrusy numbing quality that feels right at home in a Japanese-inspired version. Combined with savory pork, dashi, miso, and aged doubanjiang, the result is deeply flavorful, comforting, and perfect with a bowl of steamed rice.
Note: Blanching the tofu in lightly salted boiling water for 1 minute helps it stay firm and hold its shape during cooking.
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon Wadaman Organic White Sesame Oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped fine
- 4 ounces yellow onion, diced small
- 4 ounces carrots, peeled and diced small
- ¼ cup sake
- 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, chopped
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1 tablespoon Suehiro Usukuchi Soy Sauce
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1 tablespoon Horikawa Nomura Awase (Mixed) Miso
- 1 tablespoon Doubanjiang or Tobajiang
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2 ½ cups Dashi (or made from Uneno Dashi Pack - Yellow)
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1 teaspoon Yamatsu Tsujita Sansho Powder
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½ teaspoon Yamatsu Tsujita Ichimi Togarashi
- 1 lb Tofu, cut into 1inch by 1inch cubes and blanched (see note)
- 1 tablespoon Morino Yoshino Kuzu Starch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- ¼ cup finely sliced scallions
Directions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil and heat until just beginning to smoke.
- Add the pork and salt. Break the meat into small pieces and cook until the liquid evaporates and the pork begins frying in its own fat. Continue cooking until about one-third of the pork is browned.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the onion and carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sake, black beans, soy sauce, miso, and doubanjiang in a small bowl until smooth.
- Add the sauce mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Pour in the dashi and simmer until reduced by about half, 15–20 minutes.
- Stir in the sansho powder and ichimi togarashi. Continue simmering until the sauce is rich and concentrated—saucy but not soupy.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the kuzu starch and water to make a smooth slurry.
- Bring the sauce back to a boil. Slowly pour in the slurry while stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute, until thickened.
- Gently fold in the tofu and cook just until heated through.
- Garnish with the scallions and serve immediately with steamed rice.