Silken tofu simmered in a fiery, numbing sauce of doubanjiang, fermented black beans and Sichuan peppercorn, studded with ground beef or pork. A Chengdu street classic named for the pockmarked old woman said to have invented it.
Blanch the tofu
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and slide in the tofu cubes for two minutes, then drain gently. This firms the tofu and washes off the bean smell.
2 minToast and grind the peppercorns
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over medium heat for one minute until fragrant, then grind them to a coarse powder.
Brown the meat
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until it shimmers, then add the ground meat and stir-fry for three minutes until browned and crumbly.
3 minFry the paste
Push the meat aside, add the doubanjiang, fermented black beans, garlic, ginger and white spring onion to the oil, and stir-fry for one minute until deep red and fragrant.
Simmer the tofu
Pour in the stock, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, stir everything together, then slide in the tofu and simmer gently for five minutes so the tofu absorbs the sauce.
5 minThicken the sauce
Drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring gently, and simmer for one more minute until the sauce turns glossy and coats the tofu.
1 minFinish and serve
Sprinkle over the ground Sichuan peppercorn and green spring onion, then serve immediately over steamed rice.
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