Quick & Easy Chinese (23 page)
Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
With its plush texture and complex flavors, this dish is a favorite with my family. I use firm tofu, but soft tofu works fine, too. It may crumble a bit, but that suits the texture of this dish. If you don’t have hot bean sauce or Szechuan peppercorns, don’t worry; you can still make a tasty version without them. If you can’t find firm tofu, see page 178 for instructions on pressing soft tofu into firm tofu.
1 pound firm tofu
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce or
1 tablespoon hoisin and
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce or molasses (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
¼ cup chopped green onion
½ pound ground pork
1
/
3
cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon Toasted Szechuan Peppercorns (optional; page 176)
SERVES
4
NOTE
Tofu is sometimes sold in 14-ounce containers, and one of those will be sufficient to make this dish. Hot bean sauce is a chile-fired version of brown bean sauce, a thick, salty seasoning made from salted, fermented soybeans. You can mix equal parts of brown bean sauce or hoisin with chile-garlic sauce for a good substitute in many recipes
.
Chop the tofu into ½-inch chunks and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the hot bean sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, if using, sugar, and salt. Stir well to mix them into a smooth sauce. In another small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch, leaving the spoon in the bowl for a final stir.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, and add the vegetable oil. Swirl to coat the pan evenly. Add the garlic, ginger, and half the green onion, and toss until they release their fragrance.
Add the pork, and use your spatula or a large spoon to chop and press it out into a single layer. Let it cook undisturbed until the edges change color, about 30 seconds. Toss well and cook until most of the meat has changed color, about 1 minute more.
Add the hot bean sauce mixture and cook, tossing often, until the meat is evenly seasoned. Add the chicken stock and the tofu and cook, tossing gently now and then, until the pork is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Give the cornstarch mixture a final stir and add it to the pan. Toss well to mix in and let it thicken the sauce, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and quickly add the sesame oil, Szechuan peppercorns, if using, and remaining green onion. Toss well, transfer to a serving plate, and serve hot or warm.
No lions here—just oversized pork meatballs (a lion’s head) simmered with napa cabbage (his flowing mane) in a tasty broth. Even if you don’t see the resemblance, you will love the satisfying simplicity of this dish. Cooking time is long, but once you’ve assembled the meatballs and put the dish on simmer, the work is done and the reward is worth the wait. You can make this in a wok, a large Dutch oven, or a Chinese-style clay pot, either on top of the stove or in the oven.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 pound ground pork
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
FOR THE SOUP
1 medium head napa cabbage (about 1 ¼ pounds) or bok choy
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
SERVES
4
NOTE
If you want to use a casserole dish, you can brown the meatballs and cabbage in a wok or skillet and transfer them to the casserole. If it is safe for stovetop use, you could brown them in the casserole. To cook in the oven, place the assembled dish of cabbage, meatballs, and seasonings in a 300°F oven and cook for about 1 hour, until the meatballs are cooked through. Transfer to a serving bowl or serve directly from the casserole
.
To make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, salt, and egg. Stir well with a fork or a whisk to combine everything evenly. Add the ground pork, green onion, and ginger. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix the meat and seasonings to combine them smoothly and very well. Shape into 4 plump balls, and flatten each one slightly, like big, rounded burgers. Set aside on a plate.
To make the soup: Trim the napa cabbage, discarding the outer leaves. Quarter it lengthwise, and then chop it crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Measure out 6 cups of cabbage pieces into a large bowl, reserving any remaining cabbage for another dish. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and salt and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.
In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat until a bit of cabbage sizzles at once. Add two of the meatballs and cook on one side until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Gently turn them over and brown the other side well. Carefully return the partly cooked meatballs to the plate, and brown the other two in the same way.
Let the oil heat up again, and then add the chopped napa cabbage. Cook, tossing now and then, until the cabbage is shiny and beginning to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and return about half the cabbage to the bowl.
Carefully place the four meatballs on top of the cabbage in the wok, and cover them with the remaining leaves. Add the chicken stock mixture, return the pan to the stove, and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes, until the meatballs are done and the cabbage is tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Serve hot.