posted by tgobbi 10-18-102 9:15 PM
Chinese BBQ Pork with Tofu and Pea Pods
1 C sliced BBQ pork*
1 cake tofu sliced domino size**
1 C pea pods, strings removed
vegetable oil
Seasonings:
minced garlic to taste
minced ginger to taste
2 minced or shredded scallions or leek
1 T Szechuan hot bean sauce or to taste***
Sauce:
1 - 2 T Chinese dark soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
salt (opt, to taste)
pinch sugar
additional hot pepper sauce (if desired)
1/4 C chicken stock
a little cornstarch mixed with a little water for binder
a few drops Chinese sesame oil
*Available in Chinese markets or you can make your own. Recipes in most Chinese cook books. It freezes well so you can make or buy several pounds at a time.
**Use the medium soft version if you can find it. The firm is too hard and the soft crumbles and falls apart.
***Available canned in Chinese grocery stores. There's no substitute. It's quite salty so adjust the amount of salt according to how much you use.
To prepare: As you begin to cook, have a pot of water boiling. Pour the tofu into the pot and leave it until you're ready to add it to the wok.
Fire on high for the whole cooking process. Heat wok or skillet until smoking. Add 1 or 2 T of oil. Stir in seasoning mixture for a few seconds until you get a pronounced garlic smell. Add the BBQ pork and pea pods; stir fry until thoroughly heated through. Stir in the sauce. When it starts to bubble, thicken with the cornstarch mixture being carefully not to make it too thick. Start with a little bit; you can always add some more. Remove the tofu from the boiling water with a large slotted spoon or a sieve of some kind and very carefully stir it into the wok. Stir in a few drops of Asian sesame oil, pour the whole thing onto a heated platter and serve immediately with rice.