Home-Style is Mandatory Right Now
Mar. 29th, 2020 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Home-style Tofu.
"Home-style is the name given to a particular Sichuanese flavor type, which is salt-savory and moderately hot, with sometimes a sweetness in the sauce... as the name suggests, this style of cooking is inspired by the hearty simplicity of Sichuanese home cooking."
1 lb plain white tofu
3 1/2 oz pork tenderloin
3 green onions or baby leeks
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 Tbsp chile bean paste
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (Ha! I used... more.)
an equivalent amount of ginger, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup stock
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp soy sauce (to taste)
1 tsp potato starch, mixed with 4 tsp cold water
Cut the tofu into 1 1/2-2" squares, about 1/2" thick. Thinly slice the pork. Cut the alliums (allia?) into lengths, keeping the white and green parts separate.
Heat the oil in a seasoned wok over high heat until sizzling hot, then fry the tofu slices in a few batches until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Carefully pour off all but 3 Tbsp of the oil and return to high heat. Add the pork and stir briskly. Turn the heat down to medium, then add the chile bean paste and stir-fry until the oil is red and richly fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and white part of the green onions. Fry until they too are fragrant.
Tip in the stock and tofu and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat slightly, season with the sugar and soy sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the green onion greens and stir briefly. Give the potato starch mixture a stir and add to the wok in a couple of stages, adding just enough to thicken the sauce to a glossy gravy that clings to the slices of tofu. Serve.
What worked: We liked it. It went very well with brown rice and a side of sauteed bok choy. The only time-consuming portion was frying the tofu.
What didn't: This repeatedly set off our smoke alarm, which unfortunately turns itself back on immediately even after you push the "shut up you f*cker" button.
Will I make it again? I would, but I would be more likely to buy the puffed/fried tofu from the hippy tofu vendor at the farmers' market. Then this dish becomes extremely easy and quick to make. And less likely to trigger the f*cking smoke alarm.
"Home-style is the name given to a particular Sichuanese flavor type, which is salt-savory and moderately hot, with sometimes a sweetness in the sauce... as the name suggests, this style of cooking is inspired by the hearty simplicity of Sichuanese home cooking."
1 lb plain white tofu
3 1/2 oz pork tenderloin
3 green onions or baby leeks
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 Tbsp chile bean paste
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (Ha! I used... more.)
an equivalent amount of ginger, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup stock
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp soy sauce (to taste)
1 tsp potato starch, mixed with 4 tsp cold water
Cut the tofu into 1 1/2-2" squares, about 1/2" thick. Thinly slice the pork. Cut the alliums (allia?) into lengths, keeping the white and green parts separate.
Heat the oil in a seasoned wok over high heat until sizzling hot, then fry the tofu slices in a few batches until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Carefully pour off all but 3 Tbsp of the oil and return to high heat. Add the pork and stir briskly. Turn the heat down to medium, then add the chile bean paste and stir-fry until the oil is red and richly fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, and white part of the green onions. Fry until they too are fragrant.
Tip in the stock and tofu and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat slightly, season with the sugar and soy sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the green onion greens and stir briefly. Give the potato starch mixture a stir and add to the wok in a couple of stages, adding just enough to thicken the sauce to a glossy gravy that clings to the slices of tofu. Serve.
What worked: We liked it. It went very well with brown rice and a side of sauteed bok choy. The only time-consuming portion was frying the tofu.
What didn't: This repeatedly set off our smoke alarm, which unfortunately turns itself back on immediately even after you push the "shut up you f*cker" button.
Will I make it again? I would, but I would be more likely to buy the puffed/fried tofu from the hippy tofu vendor at the farmers' market. Then this dish becomes extremely easy and quick to make. And less likely to trigger the f*cking smoke alarm.
