Chef Chans Ma Paul Tofu With Minced Pork Food

MA-PO TOFU (SIMMERED TOFU WITH GROUND PORK)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• Stir in the soy sauce; taste, and add salt and red pepper flakes as necessary. Garnish with cilantro if you like, and serve.

MA-PO TOFU (SPICY BEAN CURD WITH BEEF)

Steps:

• In dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, toast peppercorns, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool, then grind in spice grinder to fine powder. Set aside.
• In large pot over moderately high heat, bring 4 cups water to boil. Add tofu, remove from heat, and let steep, uncovered, 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer tofu to medium bowl and set aside.
• In small bowl, whisk together hot bean paste, black-bean paste, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, and chili powder. Set aside.
• In small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water. Set aside.
• In wok or heavy large sauté pan over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add beef, ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir-fry until meat is browned, about 1 minute. Add rice wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of moisture evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Add hot bean paste mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is incorporated and oil in pan turns red, about 1 minute.
• Add tofu, leeks, stock, light and dark soy sauces, and remaining 2 tablespoons oyster sauce and bring to boil. Whisk cornstarch mixture to recombine, then add to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices thicken slightly, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.

CHEF CHAN'S MA PAUL TOFU WITH MINCED PORK

Steps:

• Drain tofu and place on a cutting board. Slice horizontally into thirds. Return stack of slices to tofu container and cut into the tofu crosswise and lengthwise to make 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes. Cover with water and set aside.
• In a skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry pork until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add the oil, and when hot, add the leek, chili-soybean paste, garlic and peppercorns. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Pour the water off the tofu, and add the tofu to the skillet, shaking the pan so the tofu settles into the broth. Simmer until very tender, about 5 minutes. Serve with or over rice but never under it.

SPICY PORK TOFU

Steps:

• Sprinkle cabbage with the 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Place the cabbage on a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out any water. The dryer the cabbage, the better. In a hot wok that's been coated with canola oil add the ground pork. Stir-fry until nearly cooked through. Add ginger, garlic and salt; cook for another two minutes. Deglaze with soy sauce, add napa cabbage and sesame oil, continue cooking until the cabbage is wilted. Check seasoning.
• Plating: Spoon contents of wok over the tofu on a large serving platter, serve family style.

TOFU AND PORK STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Cook the tofu: Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or wok over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil begins to smoke, remove the skillet from the heat and quickly (and carefully!) add the tofu in a single layer. Return the skillet to high heat and cook, stirring from time to time, until the tofu is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully remove the tofu to a plate. Add the coriander seeds and toast for 15 seconds. Add the ground pork in a single layer, then sprinkle with salt and the red pepper flakes and brown over medium-high heat until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pork to the tofu.
• Cook the vegetables: Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon oil. Stir in the garlic and scallions and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the snow peas and peppers and cook until they become tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, honey, ginger and lemon zest and juice. Simmer for an additional minute. Taste for seasoning.
• Finish: Add the pork and tofu back to the skillet and gently stir to reheat and combine, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and add the vinegar and additional soy sauce to taste.

MA PO TOFU (BRAISED SPICY PORK WITH TOFU)

Steps:

• In a wok, heat vegetable oil on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Have all your ingredients ready next to your cooking area as you will need them close at hand as cooking progresses.
• Add garlic and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute, be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the ground pork to the wok and break up into large chunks. Let the pork sear and gently combine the garlic and ginger as you continue to break up the meat, abour 3-4 minutes. If desired, you may season the pork at this stage with salt and black pepper, but this is not necessary.
• For the sauce, combine the sugar, cooking wine, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and chili paste. Add the sauce mixture to the wok. Gently combine and bring the wok to a simmer.
• Add green onions, tofu and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Gently fold ingredients together, be careful not to break up the tofu (you want it to retain their cubed-shape).
• Cover wok with a lid and lower heat to low and braise pork and tofu for 10 minutes.
• Remove lid and raise heat to medium. Stir cornstarch into remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok and gently stir to thicken sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove the ginger now, if desired.
• Serve over white rice and enjoy!

IRON CHEF CHINESE - CHEF CHEN'S MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes. Heat enough water in a large saucepan, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and tofu pieces. Bring to boil and cook tofu on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes and remove from heat. Precooking tofu in water prevents tofu from breaking apart easily later. Set aside.
• While tofu is cooking, make cornstarch paste by mixing 1 T cornstarch and 1 T water. Set aside.
• Set wok on high heat for 1 minute until hot. Add 2 T vegetable oil and swirl the pan, then add ground pork, stirring to separate.
• When ground pork is browned, add Chinese brown bean sauce ie tenmenjan, tenmienjan, or tenmenjiang, Chinese chili bean sauce ie toubanjan or doubanjiang, fermented black beans, and ichimi tougarashi or minced dried red chili pepper. Continue to cook for 1 minute.
• Add chili oil, drained tofu pieces, chicken stock, garlic chives, soy sauce, and sake. Stir fry gently for 1-2 minutes.
• Add cornstarch paste to thicken and add sesame oil. Swirl gently and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Sprinkle Szechuan peppercorn on top.
• Serve with steamed white rice.

MA PO TOFU (SPICY SZECHWAN BEAN CURD)

Steps:

• Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger in a medium-sized bowl, and reserve the remainder.
• Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl (1 sliced spring onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon of Chinese rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch), and mix well.
• Add the ground beef or pork, give it another stir and set aside for approx 30 minutes.
• Place the tree ears or shiitake mushrooms in small bowl, pour over boiling water, and soak for about 15 minutes until they are soft and gelatinous.
• Drain the soaked tree ears, rinse, remove hard stems, and slice finely.
• Blanch the tofu in boiling water for 2- 3 minutes, then drain.
• Combine the garlic with the reserved ginger, and process together with a stick blender or spice grinder until they form the consistency of a thick paste.
• Heat a wok over a moderately high flame.
• Add the peanut oil, and just as it is starting to smoke, add the garlic/ginger paste and stir-fry, stirring continuously, for approximately 30 seconds.
• Next add the brown bean paste, Szechwan chile paste, water chestnuts and tree ears, and stir-fry for a further minute.
• Give the meat mixture a stir, add it to the wok, and continue to stir-fry over high heat for two to three minutes, until it loses its pinkish color.
• Toss in the tofu and the sliced green onions and continue to toss and fry for about 45 seconds.
• Finally, add the sugar and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the soy sauce& water, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the Szechwan pepper corns and stir thoroughly.
• If there appears to be too much liquid in the wok contents, thicken with a little cornstarch and water.
• Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and season to taste with salt.
• Serve with steamed rice, and garnish with cilantro.

KAREN'S SAUSAGE, BLACK OLIVE AND WALNUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Cook the sausage and the minced turkey liver in a large heavy pan over medium heat, stirring until cooked and making sure the sausage meat is well broken up, about 12 minutes.
• Add the onions, celery and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and pale yellow, about 10 minutes.
• Toast the bread slices and dice; you should have about 3 cups. Place the sausage mixture in a bowl and add the bread.
• Add the olives, walnut pieces, Italian parsley, Cognac, salt and pepper.
• Add enough stock so the stuffing will hold together in the bird.

LAMB IN MUSTARD-MASCARPONE SAUCE

Steps:

• One or two days before serving, heat oil in a large Dutch oven and, in batches, brown shanks on all sides and set aside. Add celery, onion and carrot and sauté about 3 minutes. Add shanks, Marsala, chicken stock and enough water to cover. Boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
• An hour before serving, remove the meat from the shanks, break into 1-inch chunks and return to pot. Mix the marinade ingredients. Add to lamb and cooking liquid and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• In a deep skillet, heat olive oil and crisp the pancetta and remove to a bowl. Add shallots and rosemary to the skillet and sauté until shallots are browned. Set aside shallots and discard rosemary.
• Add garlic and cumin, sauté 3 minutes, then deglaze the pan with Marsala and vinegar over medium heat until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Add lamb and marinade and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in paprika and tomato paste and mix well. Stir in shallots and simmer 15 minutes.
• Remove lamb and shallots to a serving bowl and keep warm. Boil liquid until thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk in mascarpone, add the lamb and shallots and pour over the barley (see recipe). Sprinkle with pancetta.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sauté the chicken and prosciutto in oil in a casserole over medium heat for 5 minutes, until lightly brown. Add the chorizo and sauté 3 minutes more. Add the onions and garlic, cover and cook until the onions are soft. Stir in the rice, jalapeño and red peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and tomato and bring to a boil. Stir in the saffron. Cover and bake for 15 minutes, until the rice is al dente. Stir in the peas and seafood and bake, uncovered, for 3 minutes, until the mussels and clams open. Remove the casserole from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Remove the garlic, shellfish shells and chicken bones. Dice the mussels, clams and chicken and stir into the paella.
• For the tomato shells, oil a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the tomatoes. Cut 1/2 inch off the stem ends of the tomatoes and reserve. Scoop out and discard the insides of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, fill with paella and cover each with a tomato ''lid.''
• Place the tomatoes in the oiled dish, sprinkle with 2/3 of the garlic, the thyme and the rosemary and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes soften, basting with the pan oil every 5 minutes. Keep warm.
• In a small skillet, heat the remaining oil over high heat and add the cockles and remaining garlic. Cover and cook 2 minutes, until the cockles open. Add the currant tomatoes, vinegars, salt and pepper.
• Place each stuffed tomato in the center of a plate and surround with the cockle mixture. Serve.