Mapo Tofu | Best Beef Stirfry | Chinese Cookbook Giveaway

BEST BEEF STIR FRY (STIR-FRIED BEEF WITH BLACK PEPPER)

Serves 4.
This recipe was a stand out! Will make a again, for sure, and will likely make it into my regular rotation. Delicious!
The beef stir fry had a Western twist with the onions and black pepper, but still a definitively Chinese flavour profile from the oyster sauce, dark soy, and ginger.

Heidi Tweaks: I would reduce or leave out the black pepper next time, only because the high amount used in this recipe irritated my stomach.
I would also reduce the amount of oil used.
The sauce was very flavourful and very ample – in my opinion this could easily extend to a full pound or more of steak, plus some green vegetables if desired. I would also be interested to try this with a cheaper cut of steak, such as strip loin or sirloin.

Velveting Mixture
15 ml (1 Tb) Shaoxing cooking wine (I used dry sherry as recommended)
5 ml (1 tsp) soy sauce
5 ml (1 tsp) tapioca starch

340 g (12 oz) beef tenderloin, cut against the grain into 1/8-inch slices

Sauce
30 ml (2 Tb) oyster sauce (my preferred brand is LKK Premium)
15 ml (1 Tb) dark soy sauce
30 ml (2 Tb) Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry)
5 ml (1 tsp) sugar
80 ml (1/3 cup) beef stock (I used chicken stock)
10 ml (2 tsp) tapioca starch

125 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
6 thin slices fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices (I halved the onion first)
15 ml (1 Tb) black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Instructions
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the velveting mixture and mix well. Add the beef and mix well. Let marinate for 20 minutes.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in another bowl.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok (I used a large skillet) over high heat until it begins to shimmer, about 350 F. Add the beef to the wok and quickly stir fry for about 1 minute, until the beef is 3/4-done or the exterior has turned brown. Remove the beef from wok (with slotted spoon) and place it in a skimmer (or sieve) set over a bowl to drain off the excess oil. Pour the oil out of the wok into another bowl, and quickly rinse the bottom of the wok, scraping off any residue that’s stuck there. (I actually kept the beef residue in my stir-fry – that is powerful umami in the form of a fond and it deglazed quite nicely once I added the sauce ingredients.)

Dry the wok and return it to the heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the reserved vegetable oil (from cooking the beef) to the wok. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion to the wok. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the beef to the wok and add the black peppercorns. Stir-fry for about 15 seconds, then add the sauce mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro springs.

MAPO TOFU

Serves 6.
This was very good, but I would make it again only with significant tweaks. This has nothing to do with the quality of the recipe, and everything to do with my personal taste.

Heidi Tweaks: First of all, I do not like Sichuan peppercorns, despite having tried to like them over 20 years, so I would cut way down or leave them out. (Making it, I know, not really Mapo Tofu, but more like a Mapo-inspired Tofu. I can live with that.)
Secondly, I found this way too spicy for my taste, so I would adjust the spices down (see above).
Lastly, I was missing the garlic. The only allium called for in this recipe are Chinese leeks, which are hard to come by, even in Chinatown. I would make this again with minced cloves of garlic, and garlic chives for garnish.

On the plus side, this recipe uses ample amounts of Chinese fermented bean, which is one of my favourite condiments EVER. Must have in any kitchen!!!

Ingredients
450 g firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used medium tofu, Superior brand – my reasons described eloquently here)
pinch of salt
15 ml (1 Tb) vegetable oil
113 g (4 oz) lean ground beef (I used ground pork because that’s what I prefer in Chinese cooking)

Chile Bean Paste Oil
60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
15 ml (1 Tb) minced scallion whites
15 ml (1 Tb) minced ginger
15 ml (1 Tb) Chinese red chile powder (I ground dried Chinese chiles in my spice grinder)
2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) Sichuan peppercorn powder (I ground them in my spice grinder)
30 ml (2 Tb) Sichuan chile bean paste (I used this one but there are many brands available)
15 ml (1 Tb) fermented black beans, coarsely chopped

Sauce
180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken broth
30 ml (2 Tb) Shaoxing Cooking wine (I used sherry)
15 ml (1 Tb) soy sauce

10 ml (2 tsp) tapioca starch
2 Chinese leeks, cut crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices

Instructions
Put the tofu in a medium saucepan and add 5 cups of water and the salt. Bring water to a boil and then cook gently over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the tofu sit in the water.

Heat a wok (I used a large skillet) over high heat until a droplet of water sizzles and evaporates immediately upon contact. Swirl the vegetable oil around the bottom and sides of the wok to coat it evenly. Add the ground beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the beef had lost its pink colour and had browned slightly. Remove beef from the wok and transfer to a bowl.

To make the Chile Bean Paste Oil, heat the vegetable oil in the wok (or skillet) over medium heat, until it is just starting to shimmer. Add the scallion whites and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the chile powder and Sichuan peppercorn powder and stir fry about 30 seconds, or until the oil has turned red. Add the chile bean paste and fermented black beans, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

Drain the tofu and add it to the wok. Return the cooked ground beef to the wok. Stir in all the sauce ingredients. Simmer over medium heat about 3 minutes, until the tofu has absorbed the flavours (I found that I needed a bit more stock, and that I simmered it for 5 to 7 minutes).

In a small bowl, mix the tapioca starch with 2 Tb of water to make a slurry. Stir it into the broth and cook until the broth has thickened, about 1 minute. Add the leek slices and simmer about 30 seconds more, until they just turn bright green (I did this for 2 minutes). (I also added a bit of salt at the end).